God is Good
Life can be very hard. In this article Kimberly reflects on this fact and how that we can take comfort in the fact that God is still good.
By Kimberly Ross
An icon of the Coptic martyrs executed by ISIS in Libya, 2015. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
‘Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our ancestors, and worthy of praise; and glorious is your name forever!’ Daniel 3:26
A feature of this fallen world is interminable hardship. Each human experiences this, albeit to varying degrees. We are overcome by struggles of the inward and outward varieties. At times, they overwhelm, and our focus is turned away.
Despite our best efforts, pain is all around us. On a personal level, loved ones become ill, jobs are lost, relationships fracture, and plans fall apart. Globally, we see things like persecution, famine, terrorism, and war. No matter the scale, difficulties abound. This is hardly a new observation. Still, realizing we will each face a myriad of troubles is far different from the reality of meeting the same on this path called life. The question is not if adversity will come, but when it will occur.
Believers in Jesus Christ possess a hope that surpasses all the brief contentment this earth can offer. That hope should also be a constant when the tragedies of life force us to question the goodness of a loving God.
In Daniel 3, we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego display the kind of faith that doesn't require the preferred outcome in order to show the power of God. King Nebuchadnezzar, furious at their refusal to worship idols, commanded their death in a fiery furnace. Their response from centuries ago should hearten us even in the darkest times.
"King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Imagine that! A surety and commitment that says, "God will deliver us. But if not, we still serve him."
These brave men continue to be examples of absolute, deep, soul-quenching faith. Their story applies to you and to me. It applies to the small trials within each heart and the large miseries that affect whole communities and entire nations. God is good enough to turn whatever ails and aches our souls around. God is good enough to provide an outcome to our liking. But He may not. And in the absence of what we want and request, the goodness of God remains. That constancy should embolden us to exclaim, "He is good. He may work in this situation. But if not, my faith will not shrink."
"And if not, He is still good." That phrase covers most everything in life, does it not? Admittedly, this is an internal battle with each new test. The quest to accept God's will and His working all together for good begins anew each day. Even the most seasoned Christian wonders at these things.
The news has been overwhelming, especially of late. Uncertainty abounds, both home and abroad. The pandemic continues. We don't yet know the final outcomes of personal prayers and heavenly petitions.
But even if God does not deliver in the ways we hope and dream, He remains good. And we can and should rest peacefully in that.