Do you really believe God is good?
I’ll be honest, I do not have all the answers. All I know is that its okay to sit with the tension of being grateful for what you do have and still desire something. God’s not oblivious to that or asking you to suppress that.
But do we believe that He is withholding from us?
This is something that I have been wrestling with.
Because if I really believed that God is withholding something from me my next thought would be “what must I do?” Is there something I must do to get His attention, His approval in order for Him to grant me my desires?
Let’s take a step back.
If I truly believe His Gospel, that I am saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that there is literally nothing I can do to make God love me more or less, than I have to believe – despite what my feelings tell me – that He doesn’t withhold based on my works.
“No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11
NO GOOD THING. That is a promise! And that promise is based not on what we do, but solely on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Therefore, those who believe receive “God’s good things on the basis of Jesus’ goodness, and then go[es] on to walk uprightly.”¹
Let’s take another step back…a quick habit trail.
So where is this thought coming from? That God is withholding something from me? I can probably trace it back to comparison. Comparing the blessings that others receive to my lack and asking why not me?
We can compare our possessions, friendships, significant others or lack there of, jobs, even our relationship with God to those we know and those we don’t personally know. This is so easy to do, but I’m understanding how destructive this thought can be.
Seeing what others have and wishing it was the same for you is a common distraction the enemy uses to keep us from experiencing the goodness of God for ourselves.
What is God’s goodness?
Is it Him giving me what I want when I want it? If that were the case, His goodness would be based upon my expectations, my standards and therefore, different for every person.
Under the new covenant – the freedom we have to enter a personal relationship with God because of the excruciating death and glorious resurrection of Jesus – God’s goodness is based on Jesus’ goodness.
God’s goodness is merciful and gracious.
There are dozens of verses in the Bible that exclaim this one truth “the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalm 103:8
Here are just a few other verses that all say this same thing! (Psalm 86:15, Exodus 34:6, Psalm 111:4, Psalm 145:8, Psalm 112:4, Nehemiah 9:3, Joel 2:13, Psalm 116:3, Isaiah 30:18).
This can still feel abstract and nice on paper but, difficult to comprehend in our daily lives. The thing that I’m truly in the midst of learning is:
It’s not fooling ourselves and tricking ourselves by believing He is good. It is faith.
Not in our own understanding or strength however, it’s complete submission that He knows all things and is who He says He is.
2. God wants us to experience His goodness for ourselves.
“Oh, taste and see that they Lord is good!” Psalm 34:8
Taste and see are experiential words. Meaning no one can do it for you. You must taste something in order to experience the rich flavours and textures of a food. In order to experience a sun set or the caring face of a loved one, you must open your eyes to see. No one can do it for you.
There is so much more that God wants us to experience of Himself. Things that are so intimate and unique to each person that no one can do it for that person.
I got to pause here…We can experience God! How crazy is that? Let that sink in. We can be in the presence of the God of the Universe and experience Him…and like not die!
Our desires and wants can so quickly become idols in our lives. I’m guilty of this. When our desires are always on our mind, control how we act and behave, or hinder us from coming to God and experiencing more of Him…those are good signs that our desires (while most likely are good) have become idols in our life.
That’s a tough one to swallow.
So I don’t really have concrete answers and probably never will understand why God does things the way He does. But the point isn’t to understand.
From my gatherings I believe the point of our questions and struggles is to point us back to Jesus. To just be with Him. “If He is our delight, He gives us more of Himself. “Longings fixed on Him fulfill themselves.” (Maclaren)²
We forget that God delights in us, (Proverbs 8:31). He enjoys being with us and hearing our voice.
Do you enjoy being with Him? Do you long to hear His voice?
His goodness is not dependent on what’s going on around us or happening to us. God’s goodness is not based on earthly standards of good. And while we may believe He is withholding something from us, faith says my God is full of mercy and grace and withholds no good thing from His child. He loves you… and that is the goodness of God.
¹https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-84/
²https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-37/
Thanks for taking the time to read these words. They were written with you in mind, butto be honest I’m speaking them right back to my own heart.
If we haven’t met, my name is Daysha! I am probably just like you in many respects. Someone who is trying to figure out life, her dreams, and her passions. Discovering who God called her to be, while cheering others on that same journey. A girl who struggles with insecurities, fears and shame. But who is showing up imperfectly for the glory of God and the good of others.
Follow along the journey @daysha.albrecht
Thanks for reading.
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