Good – Devotion 227 – SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

To say ‘God is good’ indicates some sense of trust and reliance. It means we do not understand and we are okay with it. It has this ingrained belief that God is merciful, kind, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love as we are reminded he is. Or it could simply be a statement we are clinging to and hoping it is really true. It is hard to say until all we know is questioned.

When all goes well, God is good becomes a motto we can hold fast. We can rely on it because all we have and all we do point to this fact. We often equate goodness with prosperity, good health, and overall success. So if all is going well, it does make the statement more tangible. But what happens when all doesn’t go well? What happens when we do lose it all? What happens when our loved one dies too soon? What happens when we lose our job or something tragic happens? What about the times when all doesn’t appear so great because it isn’t so great? Is God still good then?

If we measure goodness simply by our standards, then we may waiver in our belief. We may find ourselves in a wasteland wondering what went wrong. We may think that God has forgotten us. Maybe we need a new measurement. Maybe God is good anyway. Maybe God’s goodness is not measured by our earthly, American standards. Maybe, just maybe, God’s goodness isn’t based on the things we hold so close.

What if God’s goodness is really based in those attributes we read about? God’s goodness could, in fact, be based on the fact that he is merciful, kind, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Those things have nothing to do with our creature comforts on this earth. These are the things which carry us through those tragic times. These are the things that are there when nothing else can be. These are the things which wrap us tight when we are falling apart. God is good. He is good not because all will go well for us. God is good because he is there for us in the good times and in the bad. He is good because he doesn’t leave us when all the rest of our world collapses. He is good because he is faithful. We don’t need to understand his goodness, we simply need to rest in it.

May God’s goodness wrap you tight today and provide you with all you need for the next breath. May you find God’s goodness all around you – and not in things. May you see God’s goodness at work. God really is good.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 103:7-9

⁷He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹He will not always accuse,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.