God Is Good
By Kelly Balarie
Bible Reading:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5 NLT
My friends were praying for me. . .
And here’s the funny thing, as they were praying, I couldn’t quite figure out how -- to be. In times of deep prayer, I aim to open my heart and believe with my soul, as if I have something to do with what’s happening. So, that’s what I did in this instance.
However, I couldn’t help but notice all the gold-weighted words in this prayer; they were substantial. Would I remember everything? Was I grasping it all? I wasn’t so sure; they were speaking fast. I tried to command myself to remember. I wanted to process their words. I wanted to write it down. Could I tell them to slow down?
Have you ever experienced pressure amid powerful prayers?
Now, in retrospect, and with some distance between that prayer-time and this moment, I see things more clearly. I realize that prayer led by the Holy Spirit, at times, absolutely will surpass our natural mind. The truth is -- we don’t have to conceive everything to receive everything. God’s ways are not our ways. Neither should we be able to expect to lean on our own understanding.
God’s Spirit is good and effective even if our mind feels confused or out of order.
It doesn’t matter so much if we understand or not, God is still God and God is still good!
God is good to work, even when our mind doesn’t work. God is good and faithful, even when we can’t perfectly dissect or understand all His work. God is good to help us, even when we can’t help ourselves. God is good to provide grace even when we can’t figure out how we are remotely worthy of receiving it.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5 NLT)
So, in that moment with my friends, I abandoned my understanding and opened my heart to receive what God was doing via the Holy Spirit.
“Kelly,” my friends addressed me during this prayer time, “The devil had a plan to attack and devour you all throughout your life, but God had a plan to save you and keep you!”
God won.
Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head. Oh. My!
Something hit me: I have been blaming on God what were premeditated attacks of the enemy on my life. As if God was the punisher. As if God was doing all this to me. As if God set up hit jobs and sink holes for me to fall into.
God is good.
Just because I can’t understand those things, doesn’t mean that negates God’s goodness.
In the book of Job, the devil goes to the throne of God and God suggests His son Job for trial. Does this mean that God isn’t good? No. It means that God believes in Job to stand firm and to stand strong even under attack. In the end, God more than blessed Job.
God’s plans are not for evil; they are always for good. Even when we can’t understand.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
What have you blamed on God that may have been a scheme of the devil? How has it created bitterness or anger at God? How has it prevented you from believing that God really loves you? Perhaps, ask God to forgive you for the bitter root that you have allowed to form in your heart.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Digitalskillet
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Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!
Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
