When I read Ava’s post below, I immediately thought of my friend Iris Peters, who died of brain cancer about five years ago. Prior to her death, when the tumor was slowly stealing her eyesight, speech, and mobility, she took a picture of the passage Ava quotes below, with her personal declaration written in her Bible’s margin. I know, from conversations she and I had during that painful time, that she wrestled with the question Ava poses. Perhaps you do as well.
Is God *Always* Good?
by Ava Pennington
A friend recently posted on social media about her successful recovery from illness. She announced the results with the observation, “God is good!” You can probably imagine the resulting comments:
- God is good!
- God truly answers prayer!
- God is an awesome God!
We rejoiced in her results because we understood the magnitude of what might have been. Still, our collective responses started me wondering. What if she had not recovered as quickly as she did from the illness? Would we still have said:
- God is good!
- God truly answers prayer!
- God is an awesome God!
. . . or would we have questioned God’s goodness?
I’ll admit, it’s easy for me to proclaim God’s goodness when life is going well. But what about when we find ourselves besieged by illness or loss? Or by relational or financial obstacles? That’s when we’re called to be intentional about what we say we believe. And not just what we say, but how we live it out.
We read these words in Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV). The prophet Habakkuk wrote:
“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.”
It’s difficult to rejoice in the midst of trial and suffering, isn’t it? But notice, Habakkuk is not saying we’re to be joyful for the difficulty. He said he will rejoice in the Lord. He will be joyful in God his Savior.
Can you and I say the same thing? It means being intentional about our perspective. I’m not suggesting we plaster fake smiles on our faces as we hear fearful news or experience loss. No, this is about responding to reality without allowing fear to overwhelm us. Will circumstances determine how we view our faith or will faith determine how we view our circumstances?
We are living testimonies. Think of family, neighbors, and friends who have not been interested in the gospel. The ones who give us figurative pats on the head and say something like, “That’s nice for you if you need it.”
This is our opportunity to live differently because of who we belong to. To live out the reality of the relationship between what we believe and how we live. To show God’s peace is real. And we are the recipients of His peace because we belong to the Prince of Peace.
So would you allow me to paraphrase Habakkuk for us? Today, we might say:
Though the cancer is not healed
and I can’t pay my mortgage,
though my marriage has failed
and the economy produces no jobs,
though I have been misunderstood,
and I have lost someone I love,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Be encouraged. No matter what happens, God is good.
Whether we understand our circumstances or not, God is good.
Whether our days are difficult or easy, God is good.
Do we believe this—truly believe this in the midst of our present circumstances? An unbelieving world is watching to see if this faith of ours really does make a difference in the face of trouble.
Believe it in your heart and speak it aloud because it is always true:
God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good!
***
Jen here. I wanted to circle back to my opening introduction to Ava’s post. I mentioned that my friend, for a time, questioned God’s goodness. But I can also say that He met her in her wrestling and gently, lovingly led her to a place where she came to say, like Ava, God is good, all the time–even when life feels hard. If you are currently wrestling with a similar question, I encourage you to listen to my conversation with Bible teacher and radio host Susie Larson on a recent episode of the Faith Over Fear podcast titled “Is God Still Good When Life is Hard?”
***
Get to Know Ava Pennington:
Ava Pennington is an author, speaker, freelance editor, and certified writing and speaking coach. She teaches a weekly Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class. Ava also received an Adult Bible Studies certificate from Moody Bible Institute and is trained as a Precepts Ministries instructor. She is the author of Reflections on the Names of God: 180 Devotions to Know God More Fully, and has contributed to numerous magazines and anthologies. Visit www.AvaPennington.com to learn more.
Check out her book, Reflections on the Names of God:
Every name God calls himself and every name his people call him hold clues to who he is, how he relates to his children, and the promises he has made—and kept.
Spend time each day getting to know God more intimately by exploring his names and attributes with Reflections on the Names of God: 180 Devotions to Know God More Fully, a giftable devotional from Ava Pennington.
