Words to the One Asking Why

But if not, He is still good.

These words have been on my mind a lot recently, as I’ve been questioning God and wondering why He does some of the things He does. Why He lets some things happen. Why sometimes I don’t feel like He’s there.

I think a lot of us have found ourselves in the place of needing to ask God a long line of questions, almost like He’s under interrogation. We want to know why, how, when, what it will look like. We want to know if He’s going to give us what we want– what lines up with our own little pre-packaged plan.

We wonder if He will give us the deepest longings of our heart.

We wonder if He will do what we so desperately ask.

We wonder if we will ever understand.

But if not, He is still good. When we can’t see why, He is still good. We must cling to this thought above all else.

I find it fascinating that many times I will come to a place of what I would call “deep” faith, trusting that God holds my future and works everything out for good, but then disaster strikes and suddenly I tailspin into questioning His goodness.

Surely a loving God wouldn’t let us feel pain. Surely a merciful God wouldn’t want us to feel confused. Surely a good God wouldn’t allow suffering.

But are we letting the circumstance define our God, or letting our God define the circumstance?

Is He good only because He does good, or is He always good, no matter what?

Let me testify that God is good. He is not malicious; He does not harm us. Even when the world around us is falling apart, our God will always remain good.

In our perseverance, let us never separate this attribute from God. He deserves to be called good not because of what He does (or doesn’t do), but because of His character that never changes.

We live in a greatly fallen world. Black letter days are inevitable. They’re even promised to us. But we are also promised a God who is constantly fighting on our behalf, a warrior who defends His people, and a loving Father who comforts His children in their time of need.

It takes great faith to stare our trials in the face and declare that God is still good even when our own lives are hard-pressed and overwhelmed.

So stand with me. Let’s declare in our search for purpose and our struggle against sin that we serve a God who is and always will be good.

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“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to him, ‘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.” Daniel 3:16-18