God Is Good All the Time - Yes, Even Then

Because God is good, He is a refuge for the believer in times of trouble. He cares about you and is a comfort to us when we need it.

It’s easy to say “God is good” when the sun is shining, but we must be steadfast and cling to Him even when the storms come. The great author JRR Tolkien wrote “faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” Scripture does not promise us an easy walk through this life, especially if we choose to follow Jesus. But when difficulties arise, are you ready to stick with Him?

God’s goodness is not limited, and He is ready and willing to grant us good, pleasant things in this life. Just take a look at Scripture:

Old Testament goodness

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

New Testament goodness

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34).

As believers, we are called to be like Christ, and that includes being good. We often hear this phrase associated with children or animals; I tell my dog to “be good” when I leave the house. But goodness in the Christian life is so much more than just not being bad. Goodness is even listed among the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

What would it look like for you to “be good” today? Maybe this looks like refocusing your mind, and intentionally spending time thinking on the good things God has placed in your life. Maybe it means you can think of some random acts of kindness to do for a stranger, whether that’s paying for another customer’s order, or giving a genuine compliment to your cashier or office cleaning lady.

Maybe (especially if it’s been a hard or frustrating season), it just means choosing to be positive that day, instead of grumpy or anxious. Pray about these things, and see where God leads you as you work to grow in goodness.

Let us never forget that God is good, all the time. And all the time? God is good. He sees you and cares for you, just as He sees and cares for all of creation. You are that important to Him.

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Bethany Pyle is the editor for Bible Study Tools.com and the design editor for Crosscards.com. She has a background in journalism and a degree in English from Christopher Newport University. When not editing for Salem, she enjoys good fiction and better coffee.