He's Still Good // When God's Plan Looks Different Than Ours

"and if not, He is still good."

   I've been thinking about this phrase a lot. It's easy for me to hike up a mountain in Yosemite and proclaim his goodness as I stare across the breathtaking view, or when I receive a job offer with good pay and valuable experience. But how often am I praising His name when I have a fever of 102 or someone I care about isn't doing too well? Not very often.
   Yet, I'm missing the point, because all the time, God is good. His perfect plan is constantly unfolding. "and if not, He is still good."
   I think about prayer when discussing this. Often times, when we pray, we're asking God for good health or financial stability or safety, because to us, that's what out perfect plan consists of. But what if God's plan looks a little bit different? 

   When I was 11 years old, by dad was diagnosed with cancer. Endless days were spent watching my once indestructible father deteriorate within the confines of the blinding white walls of the hospital. I knew God was good, so I began to pray.
   "Please please heal my dad, God. Oh please heal him. If your plan is healing him by taking him to heaven, fine, but please heal him so we can have more time together."
  This became the desperate desire of my heart. Treatment after treatment, my prayers became more constant, more fervent. After all, the more God heard my cries, the higher the chance of Him obliging, right?
   But my dad and I never got more time together. Instead, after 14 months of suffering, he slipped away from this world. God healed him by taking him home.
  But that's not what I wanted. Didn't God understand that I only added that part into my prayer so it would make me look good and further my chances of Him smiling upon me? I began to question, is God really still good?

"and if not, He is still good." 

   It took so long for that to resonate. And sometimes it's still so hard to grasp. But guys, from the depth of my heart can I tell you right here and now that I believe it. I may not always understand it, I may still experience sorrow beyond my imagination one day, but throughout those doubts and worries and grief, God is good.
   Sometimes it may be revealed right away why God's plan unfolded the way it did. Maybe you didn't go to that concert because that fatal car crash could have involved you. Other times it takes weeks, months, years even, for it to be revealed. Overtime, maybe, you'll see how trials and tribulations have shaped you as a person and have grown your relationship with Christ. Yet other times, it may never be clear as to why God let things happen the way they happened.
   Remember, we live in a fallen world, the consequence of our sin. God's original plan for us was to live without the fear of death, grief, or sadness. But that doesn't mean God has abandoned us. God doesn't promise to keep all hardships away from us, but He does promise to walk through them with us.  God's perfect plan will still be fulfilled, and in the meantime, we live trusting in Him. After all, God says that there is no trial given to us that we cannot overcome.
   So yes, there will be hardships and times you question why. But remember that even when things take a turn for the worse, God's goodness still prevails. Lean on Him and let it wash over you. Because even when life may not be going as hoped, God is still God. He knows. 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and though the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you." 
-Isaiah 43:2

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 
-Romans 8:28

When have you clearly seen God's goodness in your life, and when have there been times it's been more difficult? I believe we've all had experiences where it's clear, and others times, not so much. Yet, his goodness prevails and the fire will not burn us, because His grace and love surrounds us. Amen? Amen.

Have a wonderful week my friends,

Elizabeth