Read that key verse again. Do we really believe it? Do we honestly, in the deepest part of our hearts, truly trust that God will not withhold any good thing from those who are walking in obedience with Him? A couple of days ago I listened to the testimony of a faithful missionary couple who were serving with their young family in Trinidad and Tobago. They had answered God's call to follow the Lord and go to a foreign land to share the gospel. They were definitely, without question "doing what was right", but while home on furlough, eight years into this walk of obedience, they received the devastating news that the wife was diagnosed with an advanced cancer, and within about six weeks, she died.
This is not an uncommon story. Even while writing this, I was interrupted by a phone message. A sweet friend just found out she lost her job today. Where is the good? I'm sure each of us could insert our own story of apparent "unfairness". If God is really not "withholding good" why does so much seem "un-good"?
You know, we could go back to the Garden of Eden. We might say that even there God "withheld good". Scripture tells us that Adam and Eve were instructed they could eat from any tree except one. There was one tree that was forbidden. They were not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan was able to convince Adam and Eve that God was "withholding good".
Have you ever watched a couple of toddlers at play? Until one finds a toy fascinating the other has not even noticed it, but suddenly that one toy becomes the focus of both children. The toy is not evil, but our longings so selfish. The enemy caused our first parents to desire what they could not attain. Often our desires, although seemingly good to us, are not good to God.
The apostle Paul could have said that he missed out on "good". He prayed multiple times for a "thorn" to be removed and yet it remained. How is that good? We perceive "good" as the "toy", the "fruit" or the "healing", but God perceives it as the grace to grow.
Maybe we need to start by describing what is "good" and by whose standard is something considered "good"? I think God's dictionary would define words much differently than we would. We cannot imagine how "good" would include loss, health challenges, unfilled longings, broken dreams, or unmet expectations. Our "good" would be synonymous with prosperity, wealth, health, caring family, great job, loving marriage and perfect children. We wrestle with the tension of our good and God's good. We question, "Lord, have we not followed Your call on our lives faithfully? Why are You withholding from us?" It can be a hard truth to believe, that God does not withhold good, especially in the face of circumstances we do not understand. Yet, even when it does not feel good, we can trust it is good.
In hindsight we can look back on hard situations or on lonely lives and see that eventually there was tremendous fruit from difficult seasons, but what is often challenging is knowing that "good" to God often involves adversity. In every trial, the good thing the Lord never withholds is more of Himself, for truly only God is good. Jesus Himself said in Mark 10:18, "'Why do you call Me good?' Jesus asked. 'Only God is truly good.'"
God Himself is the "good thing" that He does not withhold from us. It is often only when our lives are interrupted by some unwelcomed event that our hearts open to realize that everything we defined as "good" is now counted loss compared to the treasure of knowing God, and He will never withhold His presence from the child earnestly seeking Him. If you are angry, confused, heartbroken, and questioning what the Lord has allowed to touch your life, please do not lose hope. The circumstance may be the furthest thing from good, but God knows the good that will be birthed through what He allows as we depend on Him. Keep trusting and living faithfully. He loves you.
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