As 2022 comes to a close I look back at the sorrows, the joys, and the triumphs. Then I look at the continued circumstances that have so many people struggling in their faith or just in their initial acceptance of who God really is. The question that keeps coming up in every conversation, in every look, and in every part of my being…is God truly good? Have you been truly faithful all my life, have you always looked out for me through this year? The Holy Sprit presented it to me in the form of a letter and a reply. A reply found in Gods word through the verses below. I pray that no matter how this year ended, and how the new one begins you can anchor yourself in the knowledge that God is good and only wants good for you! Carry this truth with you throughout this new year, and behold the joy that can spring from it!
Dear Lord,
I need your help with something. I need to understand. I am in a state of sorrow and confusion and nothing makes sense to me. Everything I thought you were, everything I thought you would do, and even your character has been brought into question within my mind. You are supposed to be a good God. The state that I am in has found me broken. Nothing makes sense to me anymore. Everything I have believed in, everything I trusted in, and everything I could count on has fallen around me. I am standing so vulnerable, scared, and freshly bruised. How could you? How could you let bad things happen to me? How could you turn your back on me? I thought you would never leave me and protect me. Keep me safe, and supply my needs. Now none of that seems true to me. How can this be?
Dear Child of Mine,
I am so sorry you are struggling. If I could take every pain, every wrong that has been done to you and every bruise unto myself I would; but if I did, I would be doing you a disservice. So, let me explain it this way. What does it mean to be good? To be good means to do without thought of personal gain. As God, I am sworn to be good at all cost, to let no evil come from me. As God I am also able to see what is to come. So, what I think you are really saying is, “Why Lord, if you know bad is coming and its going to hurt me, why would you let it happen? Why don’t you intervene?” This my Dear Child is my reply.
As my child I can see everything that lies ahead, and what the outcome will be. I see if you go down a specific path, what choices you will make, and what will come of it. As your Lord I am sworn to do what is best for you. In that comes tough choices. Choices to let hard things come, for you to go through rough times, emotional times. But all of this comes with the promise that good will come from it and only for your good. You see I am protecting you, just not like you think I should. I am there with you every step of the way leading you, but only down the paths where the outcome will be for your good. With the good outcomes doesn’t promise there will be no sorrow, pain, or heartbreak. I know from where you are standing that this situation seems impossible. The emotions of sorrow and grief and pain are so overwhelming. My promise to you is to do good by you, and what is best for you! If I can see that this sorrow you are going through will grow and make you stronger. What kind of God would I be to take that away? What happens the next time something this hard comes along, and I take that away too? What service am I granting you, what good am I doing for you if I never help and teach you to get through anything, but take it all away? This world is a sinful place and therefore you will have to face many trials, hurts, and sorrows. Yet, did you know that I have also given way to have joy within those trials, happiness within those hurts, and hope with sorrow? So, this I will leave with you. A promise. I promise that all things work for the good to those who love the Lord. That with trials you have the opportunity to grow. To grow in knowledge of me, in faith, in fruits, and in service. The promise of strength, wisdom, perseverance, peace, joy, and victory over every battle can be yours. I promise you will be greater than when you first began this journey with me, and an active participant in the overcoming each and every battle as well as your doubt that I, God am truly good and want only good for you! You see, to let no evil come from me, I cannot withhold any circumstance that ultimately can bring about what it truly best for you. You cannot see it, but I need you to trust me dear child, that I can and I will be with you every step of the way until you can see the good that comes from it and that I am being true to who I say I am!
No matter what has past, what is going on now, or what is to come. I pray this next year that you are truly able to grasp and hold the anchor that God is truly good. He wants only what is best for you! His promises to take all that has happened and make them into good is in progress, he just needs you to feed it with your trust and hold tight to your faith!
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Ecclesiastes 9:1-2 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
2 Peter 1:1-9 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
by keri payne 