By Pat
A couple weeks ago I was asked to pray for a friend's mother-in-law who had just had a stroke and was in the hospital. After a few days, she reported that her mother-in-law was doing very well and would soon be released from the hospital. She then said "God is good!"
But what if her mother-in-law had sustained permanent damage from the stroke? What if she had died? Would my friend have said God is good if that had been the case?
As I pondered this question, I thought back to the times I have done the very same thing. Have you? It's easy to say God is good when the prayers we've prayed have been answered to our satisfaction, but it's quite a bit harder to offer sincere praise to God when His answer is 'no.' But He's no less good, is He?
We must always remember that, no matter what hardships we're undergoing, whatever pain we're enduring or turmoil we're feeling, God is and always will be good. It's a true testament to our faith if, despite difficulties, disappointments and stress, we are still able to say "Thank you, God. You are, indeed, good!" As David wrote in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."
Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.