A Good God?

This whole maddening affair with the Coronavirus which originated in China but now has become a global pandemic, has left me with an odd peace, not in its wake but as it barges through, stirring up troubled waters for me and all around me.

In the midst of the horrific swell, God whispers His care. "Be still, Eileen, just be still. You are under my wings, sheltered as a hen shelters her chicks from harm."

In this knowledge, I choose to dwell, for as a friend noted on Facebook: "It's a win-win situation. If I don't get COVID-19, I win; if I do get it and die, I'm ushered into the presence of my Savior for all eternity."

Yet what of those who do not know Him personally, who have not cried out to Him for salvation in the midst of their lostness? With Isaiah, with Paul, with so many other faithful servants of the ages, I must be faithful to boldly share the love of Jesus.

It may not be with words at first, for as I noticed while reading neighbor posts on "Nextdoor Neighbor" online forum, some are not tolerating quips about prayer and trust in God. "How can I believe in a benevolent God?" one person challenges. Another retorts: "Trust in God. Yeah, right!" The cynicism drips off the page. And I cringe at Satan's age-old lie: "God is not good."

The question that bubbles to the surface throughout history is "How can a good God allow suffering?"

So we are sent back into our cocoons for the pondering. While I don't presume to fathom the deep mysterious workings of God, I do know the inspired, inerrant, infallible Scriptures speak truth, whether I choose to believe it or not. But it will be to my favor and my ultimate good if I do. And that truth is that God is good, but man is not.

With Eve's first gullible latch onto Satan's lie, sin entered the world. So did sickness, sorrow, and death. The perfect world God created fell under a sad and terrifying curse that can only be redeemed by His perfect Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God is the remedy we seek, though the present world system, the depraved flesh, and the devil blind our eyes to Him.

But into our profound darkness, God speaks, "Let there be light!" The light of His invisible attributes revealed in creation, His written Word, and the Living Word--Jesus Christ--shines into our dismal selves through His Holy Spirit, we who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and guides us onto the path of peace, so Luke notes in chapter 1:78-79.

This is our only Hope, the blessed Sunrise from on High, who lifts our faces heavenward as we live through and in a still cursed world.

For some, hearing these words is like breathing in a sweet aroma, readily received; for others these words are the aroma of death. For the latter, I would hope that the gospel in action--"For God so loved that He gave . . . . " would connect with the giving actions of their believing neighbors, folks who deliver groceries to doorsteps, send cards, check on neighbors via FB, email, phone calls, and video chats. Who show they care more than merely say they do, because as God's children they imitate their Father. They give!

That's what love does in crisis and out of crisis. Love gives, for God is love. We who know and love God can't help but love others. His goodness flows through our veins, and if for no other reason than that, I'm assured that indeed God is good.