Is God Still Good?
by Brad Spangler
Have you ever heard someone share a testimony about God’s goodness? Have you ever experienced the goodness and faithfulness of God personally? When we often think of God’s goodness, we can easily relate this to His provision and tangible blessings in our lives. This is especially evident in the age of social media. Many followers of Jesus, including myself, take the opportunity to highlight these kinds of stories any chance we get.
It’s easy to romanticize about the future and even have high expectations of what we believe God will do for us as we endeavor to serve Him. I am reminded of Jesus’ disciples and Israel at large, who had their hopes and expectations set on a Deliverer—a chosen King who God would anoint to overthrow their enemies and restore Israel to its former glory.
Can you imagine the disciples’ excitement around the fact that Jesus had chosen them to follow Him? Nathanael’s response to Jesus’ call and word of knowledge makes it quite clear.
John 1:49 NLT
“Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
This type of reaction is why we read in Luke 22 about some of the disciples arguing as they walked down the road as to who would be the greatest among them.
They had grand visions of Israel’s future and how each would fit into that glorious picture. Their expectations were high. There was energy around their mission! That is until Jesus was crucified. Instantly, their hopes and dreams were shattered as they looked upon their bloodied Messiah hanging on a cross.
Luke 23:46-49 NLT
“Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words, he breathed his last. When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.” And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.”
They had no reference point for this situation. Instead of being filled with the joy of victory over Rome, they were disillusioned with the sorrow of defeat. During moments like this, the question, “Is God still good?” begs to be answered.
All of us, at one time or another, will be faced with hardships in life. We will encounter tragedy and have moments of doubt, whether it’s the sudden death of a loved one, a dark night of the soul, or specific expectations that we once had gone unmet. What we once envisioned for our life now looks different than what we had thought.
I remember in December of 2021, roughly two and a half years since I had seen my immediate family in person. My parents, sister, and her family were supposed to spend Christmas with us in Norway. My dad went to the emergency room one week before their trip because of a sudden swelling in his leg and foot. Twenty-four hours later, he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. This was a brutal blow for my whole family, and to this day, my dad is still fighting his diagnosis like a warrior.
So what hope do we have during these dark times? What are we to do with the broken pieces of our lives? One of the beautiful things about Jesus’ death on the cross was that the story did not end in defeat. Holy Saturday eventually turned into Resurrection Sunday!
Mark 16:6 NLT
“but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.”
As followers of Jesus, our hope is in the Resurrection, and we should always trust God to put the broken pieces of our lives back together again. It may not look like the picture we had once imagined, but like a mosaic, God is creating a masterpiece.
In John 10:10, Jesus says,
John 10:10 NKJV
“The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Jesus’ Resurrection was and still is the catalyst of renewed hope and new beginnings. Mary Magdalene’s tears of sorrow turned into joy as she met the resurrected Christ near the empty tomb. For Thomas, his doubts turned into faith as he was encouraged by Jesus to touch him. For Peter, his condemnation and guilt for denying Jesus were turned into a renewed mission over breakfast. For those who believe, Jesus is still the author of life even amid darkness and uncertainty, His Resurrection demonstrates that “God is still good!”