Is God only good when life is good? Is God only good when He blesses us with good things? Is God good because of His gifts or because of His nature?
I’m sure many can relate when I say 2020 has been quite a crazy year.
Maybe some have felt tossed about by the chaos in the world and maybe some have felt completely overwhelmed by it all.
It’s often in the trials that we wonder if God is good.
I know I have been there. More often then not, my circumstances tend to dictate my peace—my contentment.
That’s where this verse hits hard.
Philippians 4:11 “I do not speak because I have need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.”
Think about Paul’s circumstances when writing these words. Paul was in prison for preaching Christ. I know my circumstances are not as bad as what Paul was experiencing, yet Paul said he was content.
How could Paul be content in a prison?
Now remember, that the prisons in Rome were far worse than our modern day prisons.
Yet, Paul was content in whatever state he found himself.
I truly believe that Paul understood that God is good because it is His nature to be good.
God is not good because He bestows good gifts upon us. In all honesty, God has not promised us any good thing in this life. Quite the opposite, as Christians, we are promised trials.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Did you catch that? Jesus promised us tribulation, but it doesn’t end there. Jesus also said “in Me you may have peace.”
In Christ, we have peace that passes understanding.
We have peace in the midst of the worst storm, in the midst of the worst chaos, and even in the midst of the most hopeless circumstances. We are not promised earthly ease but we are promised the Prince of Peace.
Friend, you and I are promised all of Christ.
We can have as much of the Prince of Peace as we want and being close to Him fills us with peace—His peace.
Our circumstances don’t have to be peaceful for us to be content. If we are hidden in Him, we can be genuinely happy, at peace and yes, content.
Jesus Christ is the best thing about Earth and He is the best thing about Heaven. Run to the Prince of Peace, allow Him to reveal His good nature to you, and live in contentment knowing that your circumstances are in worthy hands.
~ Adrianna Bui
