Can You See It?

This year I learned more about Jesus by looking for his goodness during challenging circumstances. Living and loving during a global pandemic have been disorienting. Caring for aging parents and staying connected with others required creativity. Mixed messages were confusing. Grief over the suffering and emotional challenges of those I love and know was heartbreaking. Quarantines and isolation took their toll.

If I’m honest, when life gets hard, I sometimes begin to question God and his ways. The psalmist proclaims, “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!” (Psalm 31:19). Sometimes life doesn’t seem to reflect that reality. Yet, on his way to the cross, Jesus cautioned his disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV).

The truth is that my expectations to see God’s goodness reflected in my circumstances can distract me. The challenges of last year were an invitation to look anew and remember that God is far more incredible than all my expectations. It isn’t just that God does good things, but that he is the embodiment of all that is good, and goodness flows from him. I find that incredibly comforting. The unchangeable goodness of God is an anchor for my soul. It keeps me from losing heart.

Confident in his goodness, I’m free to look for ways I can see “the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” First, I experience that in his goodness toward me. Then, I see it in the way God’s people embody his goodness as his love flows through them. We can’t produce that out of our efforts. We must first “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8) and that “the LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

I’m learning to wait on the Lord and find him in unexpected places. He’s in every invitation to respond in grace because he gives me so much grace. He strengthens my heart when I’m afraid. His presence gives me courage. I’m also learning to look for God’s goodness in unexpected ways, and that “for me, the nearness of God is good for me; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, So that I may tell of all Your works” (Psalm 73:28, NASB)

Key Quotation

It isn’t just that God does good things, but that he is the embodiment of all that is good, and goodness flows from him.

Question

In what ways has the goodness of God transformed you this past year?

Sheryl Graves, Grafted Life Ministries