God is Good - Even in the Darkness

Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

and worked for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of the children of mankind!

In the cover of your presence you hide them

from the plots of men;

you store them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues.

(Psalm 31:19–20, ESV)

In recent years I have been reflecting a lot on the goodness of God. It to me is one of the most underrated characteristics of God. It has been said by some that upon the goodness of God are hinged all of his other characters. It is the meeting point of his mercy and his justice; of his grace and his righteousness; of his love and his holiness.

I have found great hope and peace as I have been learning to rest in God’s goodness. In a world that has been ravaged by war, rumors of war, protests in almost every continent in the world, polarized politics creating ever-widening chasms, and hateful religious extremism it can be hard to see the good. But that is because we are looking for it with human eyes and standards.

When ISIS first became world news I watched as everyone around me talked about it. We all felt the horror of the destruction and death they were bringing down upon Syria and Iraq, knowing full well they had their sights set on much broader regions. We watched as they sought to wipe out whole people groups in the name of religion. It was shocking and terrible, and many were shaken by fear. But do you want to know what my first thought was when I heard about the horrors of ISIS? “God is shaking the nations! He is going to use this to draw people to himself. This is the answer to decades of prayers for the Kurds to be drawn to Christ.” And, though we may not hear much about it, these very things have been happening. There is a greater move toward Christ among Muslims than there has ever been before, even among the Kurds. People have fled lands where the gospel of Jesus was hard to find into nations where there is a church in every community. The kingdom opportunities remain vast. This is good.

Closer to home, I’ve had conversations with friends about the direction our own nation is headed. With a rise in agendas pushing against godly principles and values, many are running scared. They are afraid of the country their children will inherit. But this is my perspective: God is purifying his bride in a nation that has grown passive toward him. He is strengthening a church that has grown weak and focused on self. This is good.

If you look, you will find beauty in the ashes. If you believe in the goodness of God, you will not waver in times of uncertainty. And as you look around the world—at horrors and destruction—remember: God is good. He is sovereign and true. His mercies never come to an end. Even in the middle of our laments, we can be confident as we wait upon the Lord because he is good.

Let the truth of God’s goodness permeate your prayers for the nations. And as you see the world seemingly falling apart around you, know that God is good. Stand on that. Don’t run scared. Run to the Vine and cling to him because he is the Good Shepherd and will never let go of those who trust in him. In that, we will have the confidence to speak boldly of our good God. We will have our eyes opened to his good plan. And we will have the courage to go and send others to places that seem “unsafe” and godless because his message for them is good news.

Missions without the goodness of God is empty, hopeless, and filled with fear. Missions focused on the goodness of God is complete, can never fail, and filled with confidence and hope.

Take some time today to reflect on the goodness of our God.