God is Good... All the Time

⁹ The LORD is good to all;
   he has compassion on all he has made. -Psalm 145:9

I spoke with a woman yesterday who almost all her family lives in Alabama.  She had been busy at work and hadn't heard any news of the storms, but when she got home she turned on the T.V. to images of her hometown... or what used to be her hometown.  She said it was three gut-wrenching hours before she was able to contact family to find out that they were all physically fine.  They did however lose homes and businesses to the storms.  She said she had lived in that town for most of her life and knew a lot of people there, but she didn't lose anyone she knew.

My first impulse was to say, "Thank God!" or "God is good!"  But what about the families that did lose loved ones?  They are probably not feeling so thankful right now.  And is God only good when good things happen to us?  It is usually only in our joys that we use such phrases.  And if this woman had told me that she had lost a friend or loved one in the tornadoes, how rude it would have been to reply with "God is good!"

We do know that God IS good ALL the time.  But how do we convince ourselves of that truth with the earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and tornadoes that have ravaged the earth in the last couple of months?

Many years ago, insurance companies began labeling these natural disasters as "acts of God."  So in most of our minds, we see God's hand directing these events... pulling them away from the path of some people and guiding them right into the lives of others.  But is that really what's happening?

These natural disasters are necessary for the earth and are part of the plan of creation.  I once heard a wonderful sermon on the topic that said in essence that nature and mankind are separate creations that often conflict with each other.  Sometimes creation wreaks havoc with mankind and sometimes mankind wreaks havoc on creation.  Sometimes nature's purposes are at odds with humans and sometimes our purposes bring destruction upon the environment. 

It is so painful though when these natural disasters take lives or ruin lives.  But God IS good.  He is right there to walk with us through the pain.  He is there bringing community together in amazing ways for support.  And he is there to heal.

God's love never shines brighter than after catastrophes of these magnitudes.  Our hearts are moved to compassion to give finacially or to join with mission groups to take time from our own lives to help others rebuild. 

God IS good all the time.  Sometimes we just need to wait for the pain to subside before we see it.

Father,
There are so many in our world and in our own region who are suffering right now.  Ease their pain enough for them to remember that you are good and you are there for them and you will heal their pain and you will heal our land.  Amen.

Joys: Mike was not hurt badly in his accident; quiet mornings; Friday