Is God still Good when Life is Not?

If God is real and loving, why is life not?

How can God be good, and life be hard?  

Psalm 103:5-6  (CSB)

5 He satisfies you with good things;
your youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 The Lord executes acts of righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

Is your understanding of goodness based upon what God does for you, or who God is?  

Who God is is an expression of who God is, and is not defined by life itself.

Do we really believe that God is good when life comes and wrecks us up?  

David rejoiced in God's goodness and his spirit was renewed when he remembered the goodness and generosity of God.  

Sometimes we fall in love with God's gifts instead of God Himself.  

There is more to this life than this life.  We have to be careful not to allow our joy and refreshment to come only from this life.

The goodness of God is what we recognize when life is going good, but is rather tricky when things are going bad.

Psalm 23:6  (CSB)

6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live 

Psalm 34:8 (CSB)

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.

How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 31:19 (CSB)

19 How great is your goodness
that you have stored up for those who fear you
and accomplished in the sight of everyone
for those who take refuge in you.

In this life, the road bends, and we can't see the end from the beginning. Therefore, we can't fully understand what is ultimately good.    

1. God is originally good. 

It isn't just God does what is good, but He is the author of goodness. 

2. God is essentially good.  

Sometimes what we know about God does not match what we are currently experiencing.  

We walk by faith not by what we see and feel. If God is so good, why does that not match up with the news? Why does life not seem fair?  

People are looking for goodness that is real.  Our faith is not in the shallows, but on the rock of ages, which is real. 

3. God is infinitely good. 

God does not run out of His goodness. Some days we don't want to be good any more, but God is not like that.  

4. God is immutably  good.  

This means that God does not change in his goodness.  There are two kinds of goodness with God.  

God does things for good in general things like the sun in the morning and the rain in the afternoon. He freely gives them to everyone.   

God is uniquely good to His own children because they are His.  God is specifically good to His kids.  

David reminds us to be refreshed in God's good things.   

Psalm 103:5-6  (CSB)

5 He satisfies you with good things;

your youth is renewed like the eagle.   

As David grew older, David reminds us that God is good and can be trusted.

Eagles have long life spans.  In our old age, our bodies begin to change.  He is talking about our spiritual life.  Even in our old age we can still be amazed of the goodness of God.  

When we age, we must not have a tainted view, but we must look at life with faith filled eyes.  

We must walk in joy in our old age.  We must walk in joy so that the young will want to follow us.  

We must rest in the goodness of God.  We know what God gives, but we don't know how much God prevents.  

Why did God allow for that bad thing to happen?  We who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ must not be afraid of that question.

In Christ, we have a different world view.  Our world view includes our belief in the next life. 

Philippians 1:21  (CSB)

21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

There are some times that God wants us to rest in His goodness when we don't fully understand our pain.  

Psalm 103:6  (CSB)

5 

6 The Lord executes acts of righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.         

Our world view is that this world is not all that there is.  God's final word on His goodness is Christ's crucifixion  and resurrection for us. 

Philippians 1:21  (CSB)

21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

There are times when we must rest in the truth that God is good. 

1. God has a wise, good, and Christ exalting purpose for everything that happens to us.

2. Our ability to live by his goodness is by what our view of God is. 

3. Our acceptance of the goodness of God will be a source of rejoicing throughout our lives.

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church
  

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/sermons/gods-goodness-and-generosity/