God Is Good All the Time (2)

by Zeke Flores

God is good!

That pithy phrase pops up in my newsfeed several times a day, usually in a comment where someone reports something good in their life. It could be favorable results from a medical test, the arrival of a new baby, a financial windfall, the purchase of something new, or one of many, many other fortunate things we usually rejoice over. "God is good!" people exclaim.

And indeed, He is very, very good, and it's easy to "rejoice with those who rejoice" (Romans 12:15) when good befalls them.

But what about when things aren't so rosy? What about when one's body is wracked with pain or the bank account is empty and the rent's due?

Paul the apostle penned the letter to the Philippians when he was in a Roman prison cell. The charges against him were serious, and though he was hopeful, there was no guarantee he'd be released. Yet, he clung to a profoundly simple truth: "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). It was this simple truth that not only helped him learn contentment, but also to see God's goodness in even the most dire circumstances.

Though others had the power to take his life, they could not take his faith. Nor could they take the reward of faith which he anticipated. So he exclaims, "Rejoice in the Lord always! Again, I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). Paul prospered through pain or pleasure because he knew the source of strength and goodness, no matter what was happening around him (see Philippians 4:10-12).

And there's the lesson:

• God is good, period.
• God is good, always.

Not just when something fortunate happens to me, but even when I'm suffering the hard consequences of my own— or someone else's —actions.
Even when I can't see whether there is a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel I’m in. Even when the storm that surrounds me seems to rage fiercer and fiercer. Or when I'm simply having a bad day, God is good.

Our lives are a manifestation of what we think about God and what we think He has— or hasn't —done for us. Circumstances, good or bad, may influence that thinking, but may not truly reflect reality. The bottom line is that God is good even when life isn't. He is the One who provides strength for trials, comfort for sorrow, and determination for endurance.

God is good. Period.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4).