Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Psalm 34:8
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
In prayer meeting she reported that the medical test came back negative. The recipient breathed a sigh of relief and proclaimed, “God is good!”
She told her best friend about an unexpected financial windfall that came just as some unexpected bills came due. Together they rejoiced as she testified, “God is good!”
He told me the story over lunch of how he had prayed and prayed for God to give him the job for which he applied. He just knew that job would be the doorway to a happier life. He finally got the call telling him the job was his. He smiled as he declared, “God is good!”
We listened in prayer meeting as another “she” reported a positive medical test and terminal diagnosis. We all shed tears, but no one proclaimed, “God is good.”
Another “she” confided in a friend that her worries about her finances. Her rent was 3 months past due and collectors called every day. They had some unexpected auto repairs and medical bills and had no money to catch up what they owed. The friend listened sympathetically, but neither testified of the goodness of God.
I listened to another “he” tell me that his boss called him in unexpectedly and told him they had to let him go. There was no severance. He has a wife and three small children and is not sure how they will make ends meet. He admitted his worry, but we declared nothing about the goodness of God.
So Is He or Is He Not?
The point? Please don’t miss this. God is not good because He does good things. He does good things because He is good! Even when things don’t look good to us, He is still good.
I think we need to be careful how we make the “God is good” declaration. Not that I don’t think He is, I am convinced of His goodness. But what does it say to the people experiencing bad circumstances when they hear people experience good consequences declare His goodness? They might believe God is not good to them since good things didn’t happen. I think the proper response is to declare God’s goodness in EVERY circumstance – good or bad.
And sometimes when we are faced with circumstances that aren’t good, we are tempted to at least forget if not altogether doubt God’s goodness to us. But HE IS ALWAYS good. Times may be good or bad, but God is ALWAYS good.
In Psalm 34:8, as David declares the goodness of God, he also remarks that that the one who finds refuge in God is blessed. When our circumstances are good, we don’t need refuge. We need refuge when things are bad.
The words of David remind us to believe in and trust the goodness of God even when our circumstances do not measure up to our definition of good. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Trust Him. You need not look anywhere else for help, satisfaction, or resource.