God is Good...Even in the Bad

(Note: I wrote this in bed at 11:30 pm on my phone's note app...and purposely didn't do much editing.) 

God is good. 

We always hear people say that. But do you really BELIEVE it? 

It's easy to say that when things are going great. It's easy to be thankful and joyful when life is good. But can you still say that when you're living your worst nightmare? 

You know why I can still thank and praise God even during the hardest time of my life? Because I know Who God is, and I know that He doesn't change. Regardless of my circumstances. Regardless of my feelings and emotions. God is God. And He is always good. Always.

You know what else doesn't change? The fact that he saved me by sending His Son to die a brutal death on a cross to give ME life. If that were all God ever did for us...it would be enough. That alone would be worthy of lifelong praise and worship and devotion to our Savior for saving us when we did nothing to deserve it. But the fact is, He did that, and He continues to do so much more...

I think so many people think God only exists to serve them, to give them everything they want in life. They think being a Christian means having a perfect life, with God there at their every beck and call. So then when things go bad....they get mad at God, they blame him for everything that goes wrong, they see Him as Someone who is no longer FOR them because He allowed these things to happen...and that is why people so easily give up on their faith. But when that happens, it was a because it was a weak and shallow faith in a weak and small god to begin with.

The view of God as being good only when life is good is based on a misconstrued view of God. It's not what the Bible teaches us. It's not how God works. The truth is, God is always for us, in the good times and the bad. His ways are higher than our ways, and He knows what is best for us. He even uses the bad things that happen and the hard times we experience for our ultimate good. The Bible shows this time and time again.

If you view God as some genie in the sky, who's only there to answer your every wish and desire, then you believe in a small god...and I can assure you that your faith is shallow and will not withstand the storms of life. As soon as the first bad thing happens you will turn your back on God. 

The thing is, we really don't deserve anything God gives us. The bible never promises us a perfect life. But it does promise us God's presence and guidance and wisdom and strength and peace to make it through all the storms of life. And we can still praise Him and thank Him during these times, because we don't just praise God for what he can do for us or give us... but simply because of Who He is and what He did for us through Jesus on the cross.

In order to be able to do that, we have to truly know who God is- a God who could have abandoned us if he wanted to, who could have punished us for our sins, who could have made us have to earn his love and our salvation. But he didn't, because he is a God rich in mercy and full of unfailing love and abounding in grace. His love for us is incomprehensible. That is the God I know, the God I call good, the God I praise.

When you know that God, then you will trust Him...even when you don't understand...even when you are hurting...even when your heart is breaking...even when your world is turned upside down. Because you know that He is a good God. You know that He is faithful. You know that He has a plan and a purpose and that it is always for your good.

That is how you can praise God not just on the good days when things are going great for you, but on the bad days, too. On the days you receive devastating news...on the days when your heart is breaking...when you lose your job...when your spouse is diagnosed with terminal cancer...when you lose a loved one...when your hopes and plans and dreams come crashing down around you...

because God is still there. 
God still loves you you. 
God is still FOR you. 
God is still good.