There’s a song on one of my favorite children’s worship CD’s. The song is titled “You are Good.” I enjoy listening to it so much. The lyrics and melody together are so tender and it melts my heart.
I haven’t been able to listen to it much lately. My heart isn’t able to grasp it. I have been surrounded by things that don’t seem good. They hem me in on every side and my heart and mind are trapped. I have a friend dying of cancer who is so young and should be in the prime of her life – instead life is slowly being sucked from her body. Another, who is a mother of four, recently went into surgery due to cancer, fighting for her life. Yet another friend recently was left alone with her children – her husband gone by his own volition. Where is the goodness in these things? I do not understand and I am unable to lift my heart in worship of this God who is supposed to be good.
I am struck by the fact that in today’s world, my definition of “good” may be wrong. Good is supposed to be health, wealth and happiness, right? Good should be the absence of discomfort shouldn’t it?
This is the Scripture I learned in Sunday School many years ago to back up the preceding definition of good. “And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love Him…”
I have struggled until the realization came that I have misunderstood what His definition of good is. And let me say I am not a theologian. I am not making that claim at all.
God is good. There has never been a time that He has not been good. His desire is to draw all men to Himself. He longs for all people everywhere, who are His creation, to find forgiveness, draw near to Him in love and worship Him. That is His will.
In Scripture He promises provision, but not luxury. He promises health, but I don’t believe its always the earthly concept of well being. He promises that all who believe on Him will one day be in His presence, completely whole and never again separated from Him. That is Heaven and it is more than good.
Good is His will for us. But it is heavenly, not earthly. It is divine, not fleshly. It is my only hope for goodness – the redemption of a broken world by a good God.
There is a book – “the Jesus Storybook Bible” – and we read it regularly at our house. The other night, as I read the pages, I nearly wept. It was a children’s version of the Lord’s prayer. It is not an official version of Scripture, by any means. But, as I searched for signs of His goodness, I realized that this needs to be my prayer. Even though these words are meant to simplify the prayer for a child’s heart and mind – it seized my thoughts.
Hello Daddy!
We want to know you. And be close to you.
Please show us how. Make everything in the world right again.
And in our hearts, too.
Do what is best – just like you do in heaven,
And please do it down here, too.
Please give us everything we need today.
Forgive us for doing wrong, for hurting you.
Forgive us just as we forgive other people when they hurt us.
Rescue us! We need you.
We don’t want to keep running away and hiding from you.
Keep us safe from our enemies.
You’re strong God.
You can do whatever you want.
You are in charge.
Now and forever and for always!
We think you’re great!
Amen!
Yes we do!
My heart is broken knowing that I have failed to sync up my will to His. As I pray this prayer genuinely, His goodness becomes clear. It is only when I set aside my earthly desires that I see how incredibly and sufficiently good He is. Just beyond the circumstances that I can see in my flesh, there is a good God who loves and cares for us. How He longs to redeem this broken world.
And that truly is the definition of good.
md
(written February 2010)
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