Day Four: God Is Still Good, Even If We Can’t See It

"Even If" Bridge:

Even if the doctor tells me there’s no medication to take away the pain I’ve begged you to,

I’ll still praise you

Even if I have to wait for you mend the heartbreak I believe that every tear that falls you’ll use,

I’ll still praise you

Even if you never choose to take away the struggle, your grace will be enough to pull me through,

I’ll still praise you

And even If the one who caused my hurt is never sorry, and I’ll never hear the words I’m longing to

I’ll praise you

Even if it feels like everyone has turned against me and everything I thought I gained I lose

I’ll still praise you

Even if I never see it here this side of heaven and healing doesn’t look the way I’d choose

I’ll still, I’ll still praise you

It is easy to get entangled and lost in our pain. It covers and seeps into everything, coloring our days and making it hard to see God’s goodness anywhere. It’s our job to believe that God is good, in spite of what we feel, even when pain overwhelms us. One way we can do that by looking for and anchoring ourselves in the truth of who God is and His goodness all around us.

Praise and worship are two ways we connect with God. Worship honors and adores God and reflects a reverence for who He is, and praise is an expression of that worship with thanksgiving.All throughout scripture we can find evidence of people, like David, who praised God for His goodness and mercy even while enduring overwhelming circumstances and hard times.

David sang while on the run from a crazy and enraged king and still called God good. He cried out in anguish, and yet, at the end of his Psalms would reflect on the steadfast love and goodness of God.

Even if our circumstances never change, we can trust the faithfulness and consistency of God’s character and choose to praise him for it. Even when the situations in our lives are difficult to bear, or when the realities of this life overwhelm us, we can loudly sing over our circumstances “You’re so good to me.” His goodness is a reality that is not based on the results of our prayers, but anchored in His love, long-suffering and the promises He’s made to us.

David wasn’t excused from pain or removed from it, yet he still declared the goodness of God in his songs, his Psalms. Although his feelings said otherwise, David made a decision to do the work that it takes to go in the direction of The Truth. Those songs became his diary, full of lament but also full of reflections on the consistency of God’s grace in His life. God encourages honesty in the midst of our pain, but at some point, we must decide to steward our hearts again towards the truth.

This is not always easy, but like lifting weights, it gets easier and your strength grows over time. It just takes small steps. It might be reflecting on scripture that reminds you of God’s goodness, especially in hard times. Maybe it can be found in the sweet memories of a lost loved one, or even in the comfort of close friends. Sometimes, it can simply be found in being thankful for small blessings, or reminding yourself of the truth of scripture found in your favorite worship song. Today, take a small step toward God in seeking out His goodness.