Why We Need to Trust God’s Goodness

Welcome! Thanks for joining us for this, our latest post in our new year-long blog series we’re calling “Journey Together.” In this post let’s discuss why it’s critical that we trust God’s goodness.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself cringing when people post on Facebook about their new house or car or health recovery with the joyous declaration, “God is GOOD!” This bothers me mostly, I think, because I rarely see these same people assert God’s goodness when life dumps crud on them.

Friends, as Christ-followers, God asks us to be all-in with trusting Him. All the time. Even in the crud. Hard to do, but imagine the freedom in doing so! Let’s look at why our trusting God’s love and goodness is critical.



Questioning God’s Goodness

Deep down, don’t most of us wonder if God really is good, all the time, as His Word teaches us. (I mean, look what He did to Adam and Eve! Egads!)

As writer Jennifer E. Jones asks, “If one person is hearing wedding bells and another is served with divorce papers, has God’s goodness changed somehow?”

Here’s the truth: Our self-absorbed perspective is puny. So to judge God is kinda ridiculous and arrogant. And if we’re continually judging God for how He shows up in the world — and in our lives in particular — we’ll find it impossible to humbly submit to Him and His standards. We’ll have one foot in Christ, and one foot in the world, hopping around on the foot that feels better in the moment.

Either God interacts with us from a good and holy and loving nature, or He doesn’t. His Word promises us that He DOES, but then we read stories about Adam and Eve…the flood…Jonah…etc., and we begin to doubt. Especially if it feels like our personal prayers are going unanswered. #hello?

As Pastor Jason Helveston notes, we continually question God because we are hardwired to crave explanation. “We cannot help but search for meaning in the face of tragedy and pain,” he writes. “When we can’t find answers we often come up with our own. And, if you’re like me, your answer is often not a good one.”  

To our logic-seeking human brains, a loving and good creator — our “Heavenly Father” — wouldn’t allow such misery. And yet, don’t we see bad things happen to “good” people all the time? Is God asleep at the wheel? Or is He standing right there, in the midst of the suffering, working for our good? The Bible says so.

Affirming God’s Goodness
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in His name. ~Nahum 1:7

The Bible showcases many spiritual superstars, but the poster child, hands down, for trusting God’s goodness has to be Job. The poor guy was stripped of his health, his wealth, and his stable of children after God allowed Satan to take all but Job’s life.

Even as Job, weary of the anguish and wracking pain, finally questions God, He doesn’t disavow God’s goodness. (AMAZING, right?!) Christians appreciate that Job’s faith deepened even more after this horrific trial, but what we really like about the story is how God sticks it to Satan — and rewards Job double for his trouble with new kids, new crops, new livestock, and envious wealth.

Can you and I get so cemented in our trust in God that we, like Job, refuse to question God’s character? (Even if restorative blessings don’t follow?)

In her article “So is God really good?” Jennifer writes,

“Well, let’s rethink the question. First and foremost, let’s take it out of the context of getting our wishes granted. It is always wonderful when our prayers are answered; however, His goodness doesn’t start and end there.”

Perhaps Charles Sturgeon, the famous Victorian pastor, had Job in mind when he wrote these words more than a century ago:

“The worldling blesses God while He gives him plenty, but the Christian blesses Him when He smites him: he believes Him to be too wise to err and too good to be unkind; he trusts Him where he cannot trace Him, looks up to Him in the darkest hour, and believes that all is well.”

Trusting God’s Goodness

Can we really trust God fully? I mean, I try. But sometimes I just FREAK OUT.

It’s not hard to see God as good when life feels good. But what if God wants to know if we, like Job, will trust Him through mind-blowing suffering? I continually pray for ease and health and blessings on myself and others. Because pain hurts and, frankly, I’d rather avoid it. But as I overheard someone say, “You never find out what you’re made of until you find yourself in boiling water.”

And we don’t know we really can trust God until we do it. Trust is an action word. It requires an active step. So sometimes God hands us hard moments to build our trust and reliance on Him.

Like, maybe, when I had TWO cars totaled, in the space of two years, first by a texting teen and then a hellacious hail storm. And when I wasn’t sure I’d survive the pain of my miscarriage, imploding marriage, and finally divorce. I had to CHOSE to believe that God allowed these hurts not because He’s capricious or malevolent or tuned out. God proved His love for me on the cross, but then in a thousand small ways as I rebuilt my life.

Despite His track record, I still have to make the daily choice to trust that God sees me, hears me, and cares. Cuz God is holding out on some things I want. Things I think I need that He hasn’t provided yet.

But I will tell you that I am TIRED of worrying if God’s “got this.” I want to leap, arms wide, resolute in my belief that He’ll show up, at the right time, with the right safety net. Wanna take that leap with me? Let this be our battle cry: “God is good! All the time!”

In our next blog post, let’s look further at why we need to trust God’s love for us so that we trust Him. Because if we don’t trust Him, we can’t set His boundaries of blessing and protection as our standard. We NEED firm boundaries to push against the low standard the world encourages us to live by. See you next week!

Catch up: The introductory post to this series.

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