God Is Good Even When Circumstances Are Bad

 

In 2010, my husband and I celebrated forty years of marriage, rejoicing that we are still best friends. We know that we owe the success of our marriage to God's guidance in our lives because we are definitely two imperfect people.

The day before our anniversary we experienced another example of how God's wisdom has impacted our lives when my husband had his wallet pick-pocketed on a crowded Budapest tram.

Nothing was recovered. He lost all the money in the wallet, his bus pass, every credit card we owned, his driver's license, and a couple of other IDs.

It was quite a hassle to renew and recover the lost IDs and credit cards. 

So why do I say this was an example of God's impact on our lives?

Because God is good all the time—regardless of circumstances—and we know He uses bad things to help us mature. 

"Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:3-5).

"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Without God's wisdom and guidance, we couldn't look at bad circumstances this way. But with His help, we can rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Did you know that one purpose of the Psalms is to show us how to deal biblically with adversity? 

In my book Wisdom for Life, I share how Psalms is especially helpful in this area. In fact, on Amazon, you can read the first four devotions in Wisdom for Life (click the "read sample" button below the picture of the cover). The fourth devotion talks about the comfort of the Psalms.

Bible Love Notes