Is God Really Good?

Is God really good? This is a question I have asked myself and have found to be a legitimate question, requiring a legitimate answer. I know the Lord and have been walking with Him for some time and I know He has done things that I can say have been good things. I have seen Him do things for those I am friends with and know in some way, God does some pretty amazing things, all of which can be categorized as "good". But this question is not just about God's ability to do good things, no, it is a question of God's character, if God is a good God then surely He can do good things, which can led us to believe, He is good.

Let's get personal. As mentioned above, I am a follower of Christ and have been for some time. I much like all of you, have experienced some tough things in life. I have suffered loss too heavy to bear (or so I felt) and have been able to live almost nine years after to write this. I had two of my immediate family members pass away, one of which I witnessed first hand. The loss of them has been the most pain I have ever endured. In the middle of that pain I have stopped (over the course of nine years) and asked this very question, "God, are you as good as Your bible says You are" or "God, I have seen You be good to those around me, but can You...WILL You be good to me"? I am not sure if I am the only one who has ever felt the Lord was picking on them but if so, I am here to share that with you all.

I have felt like the world was crashing down around me and I was the only one cracking under the pressure, while being forced to watch those around me live lives full of joy and happiness.

I have prayed prayers for others, and have encouraged others to give God another chance because He is good and faithful. I have rejoiced with others as they have rejoiced in the goodness of God they have seen in their lives, but have gone home and mourned the false reality that God only wanted good things for those who are around me. In that mourning, the Lord revealed to me where my heart was. I was taken aback at the truth that I was praying and believing God to be good for others, but for myself that was not an option. In my realization I decided to give God access back to my heart and permission if you will, to be good to me (again because He has always been good). I made the decision to no longer live with God's goodness in question.

A few days after I decided to start the journey of believing God to be good I saw and felt God's goodness.

I was walking around campus and was headed to my car when I was overwhelmed with the goodness of God. I was thanking Him in prayer for being so good and I was overcome with the truth of His goodness, as I was walking to my car. I could not stop smiling. I was so joyous I had to share it with others.

Now I live my life with Christ with the belief that He can be and WILL be good to me. He desires that for me and I know He will give it me.

My hope for you all reading is that you would begin to open your hearts and minds to receiving the truth that God not only gives good things but that He Himself is good. Normally there is a scripture included to attest to the topic but reading the bible in any chapter and any book will show the goodness of God, that is if you allow it to.

*My challenge is for you to find a scripture showing the goodness in God's character, feel free to leave it in the comments below.

I will leave us with a prayer,

Father, I thank You for Your love and goodness to us. I pray You would show me just how good You are. That I would not measure Your goodness by what I have seen You do, but that I would see it in You alone, in Your character and in Your make-up. Not only do You desire to do good things for me, You also desire for me to know and believe that You are good. The definition of good is God. Help me to know that truth about You and to live each day as it is so.

I pray and ask all of these things in Jesus' name,

                                                                                   Amen