Is God really good?

Chances are, if you’re a Christian, you had a knee-jerk reaction to this question.

Of course God is good. It says so in Scripture. We sing about it in multiple songs during worship time. Many of us even us it as our “battle cries.” (Say it with me if you know it: “God is good….” “….all of the time!”)

I’ve been walking with God for several years, and I, too, would answer this question in the affirmative. I can look back over my life and see ways in which God’s goodness and faithfulness came through. So, yes, much like you, my immediate response to the question of ‘Is God good?’ would be yes.

But I’m also the first to admit that perhaps one of the reasons I think God is good is because right now, at this moment, my life feels pretty good. I have a beautiful home; plenty of food in my pantry; joyful, healthy children; a steady job; a loving husband. It’s quite easy to be happy with God when I’m, well, happy.

What about those times when things aren’t so shiny though? Maybe it’s the death of a family member, an unexpected diagnosis, the disintegration of a marriage, the loss of a job. Maybe–God forbid–it’s all those things at once.

What about then? Is God still good even when my circumstances are not?

You see, even though we may not FEEL like God is good in those moments, God still calls us to a posture of worship and praise even when our circumstances are less than ideal. The prophet Habakkuk said:

“Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.” (3:17-19)

Paul put it even more succinctly in his first letter to the Thessalonians:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“(5:16-18)

Rejoice always? Give thanks in all circumstances?

That’s a hefty command, especially in those seasons where life seems determined to defeat you. In those darkest moments, it may not only feel like the act of worship is too hard; it might actually make you begin to question if the cost of following God is too high. I mean, who wants to offer a sacrifice of praise (because, let’s be honest, in those times, praise IS a sacrifice) to a God who has allowed these negative, hurtful, or seemingly soul-crushing events to happen? Who wants to even follow a God like that?

Friend, if that is you, may I speak something into your heart right now? It’s okay to feel that way. God understands the grief and heartbreak that come along with obedience.

Because He gave His Son.

Not only did Christ endure heartache, rejection, suffering, and ultimately a painful but willing death during His time on earth, His Father experienced the grief and agony of that loss. Both God the Son and God the Father experienced the agony that can come with obedience.

He understands.

But also, friends, we have to remember in those moments of deepest hurts, when confusion sets in and we begin to wonder if God truly is good, that our expectations of God are not always equal to the promises of God.

The Christian life is indeed full of much joy and light, happiness and content. But it is not always. Just like unbelievers, we have moments of darkness and depression, fear and anxiety, grief and heartbreak. And that is something we have to remember:

God never promised us a life free of those things.

In fact, Jesus Himself promises in John 16:33 that “in this world, [we] will have trouble.”

But those troubles do not change the unchangeable nature of God. And God, in His very nature, IS good. We simply have to be careful about putting an expectation on what that “goodness” looks like. That goodness does not equal a life full of ease and comfort. But it does ensure a lifetime of walking side by side with our Creator. Because although we may not have the promise of an easy life, we DO have the promise of His presence. And it is in God’s presence alone that we truly discover His goodness, no matter our external circumstances.

So spend some time with God today. No matter your circumstance or stress, talk with Him. Walk with Him. Listen to His voice.

And then come back to that question again:

Is God good?