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How to Trust God’s Goodness When Life Gets Tough
By Rick Warren
“The Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation.” Psalm 100:5 (TLB)
If you grew up in a Christian home, you may have learned this childhood prayer: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Amen.” While simplistic, that prayer covers one key characteristic of God: his goodness.
Is it really true that God is good all the time? Absolutely! But many people don’t live like they believe it. It can be hard to believe in God’s goodness for many reasons, including when you’re in pain. When you’re in conflict, you forget about it. When you’re depressed, you think his goodness is for everyone except you. And when you’re worried or stressed out, you can’t seem to find—much less think about—God’s goodness, even when it’s right in front of you.
So how can you trust in God’s goodness when you don’t feel it? God’s Word, the Bible, reminds you of his goodness over and over. Psalm 100:5 says, “The Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation” (TLB).
Focusing on God’s goodness is so important to your life. It gives you perspective on your darkest days when you need it the most. When you forget God’s goodness, you lose perspective and can only see the difficulty you’re facing.
God wants to give you a life of confidence, even on your most difficult days. He wants to give you assurance of his love and care. He wants to give you a life of influence and opportunities so that you can make a difference in the world. And he wants to give you an inheritance and a home in heaven with him forever. Who doesn’t want that? Who doesn’t need that?
So how can you experience God’s goodness? You can learn about God’s goodness as you read the Bible or hear a message about it—but you actually experience God’s goodness when you worship him. Nothing helps you focus like worship!
The Bible says in Psalm 34:9, "Worship GOD if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness" (The Message). The way you experience God's goodness is through worship—when you praise God and thank him for who he is and what he has promised you.
When you believe and understand the goodness of God, it will revolutionize your life and your perspective on your circumstances. You won’t be the same!
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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