It is Good

I spent some time this past week dialoging with a person paralyzed by unbelief. Daily this one wrestles with God, questioning Him over the seemingly unexplainable pain and suffering in our world. With eyes perpetually focussed on all things bad, this individual asks, “What is good?”

How would you answer that question?

I’ll admit, I start from a faith bias. In other words, I don’t trust myself to figure it out. My perspective is so often skewed by things beyond my knowing and understanding.  My logic and reason have failed me so many times, yet God has never failed me. Not once.

Instead of looking at the tragedy, injustice, calamity and hurt around me in order to understand God (how could a loving God allow all of this sorrow), I choose to look at God in order to understand our fallen world. I know that requires faith. I am trusting that God is Who He says He is. I’m believing that His Word provides an unfailing description of His nature and character.

What is good? Here’s a list of some of the things the Bible says are good:

Psalm 54:6 I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good . . .

Psalm 73:28  . . . it is good to be near God.

Psalm 92:1 It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your name . . .

Lamentations 3:26 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord  . . .

Hebrews 13:9 It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace . . .

Yes, it requires faith to live amidst the bad and still be convinced of the Good. That’s what faith is. Faith is being being sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13 NASB).

When I let go of faith, when I stop believing, when I wallow in, “things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know (Job 42:3),” then I despair. As men and women of faith, we not only endure great sorrow, we can actually be empowered by it. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world!