written by Rachel Brown*
Scene 1: A happy-go-lucky Irishman sitting in his fields of ripe, golden wheat with a huge smile on his face. The sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue with white, puffy clouds lazing around, and birds are chirping gaily. It is the perfect day. "God, You are just absolutely amazing! This day is perfect, my fields are ready to be harvested, and I feel so happy to be alive! Life is grand, and God, You are so good to me! Yep, God is good." He nods his head in affirmation of what he just said as he looks about his beautiful wheat once again. "Yes, God is good, all the time!"
Scene 2: The puffy white clouds have tuned black and menacing, while the sun no longer shines. The wind begins to pick up dangerously as storm clouds threaten to unleash their fury. The happy-go-lucky Irishman now has a furrow between his brow as he gazes up into the sky and then back at his wheat. Harvesting was to begin tomorrow. Thunder roars, startling the Irishman. He runs for cover as the clouds suddenly open up and let loose torrents of pouring, gushing rain. He ducks into his barn, soaked to the skin. Worry lines increase on his forehead. What had happened to his perfect day? Stark fear springs into his eyes as he hears an unwelcome sound. He prays his ears deceive him. But no, his eyes confirm it. It was hail. "No, oh no, my wheat. God, why are You doing this?! What happened to doing what is best for me? Don't You understand, that wheat is my livelihood! What will I feed my family with if I haven't any money? God, You're supposed to be good all the time! No, please no. God, if You truly do what is best for me, stop this hail before it completely destroys my crop! God? God!"
Scene 2: The puffy white clouds have tuned black and menacing, while the sun no longer shines. The wind begins to pick up dangerously as storm clouds threaten to unleash their fury. The happy-go-lucky Irishman now has a furrow between his brow as he gazes up into the sky and then back at his wheat. Harvesting was to begin tomorrow. Thunder roars, startling the Irishman. He runs for cover as the clouds suddenly open up and let loose torrents of pouring, gushing rain. He ducks into his barn, soaked to the skin. Worry lines increase on his forehead. What had happened to his perfect day? Stark fear springs into his eyes as he hears an unwelcome sound. He prays his ears deceive him. But no, his eyes confirm it. It was hail. "No, oh no, my wheat. God, why are You doing this?! What happened to doing what is best for me? Don't You understand, that wheat is my livelihood! What will I feed my family with if I haven't any money? God, You're supposed to be good all the time! No, please no. God, if You truly do what is best for me, stop this hail before it completely destroys my crop! God? God!"
Just what is a fair-weather friend? Someone who is not steadfast; able to be relied upon only when things are going well, much like the Irishman in the story. When everything was going according to his plan, he trusted and relied upon God. Yes, God was good then. But as soon as things didn't go according to the man's plan, he lashed out at God.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28
So many times we are God's fair-weather friends. When life suits us, we are gushing out praises to God constantly. Life is good. God is good. But only when things are going our way. As soon as disaster strikes, we faint with weariness because we don't understand why God would do this to us! Doesn't He care?
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." -Isaiah 40:31
Life is always going to be hard. We can't expect God to erase all hardship from our lives simply because we are too weak to bear the big and even little trials of life. Thankfully God has promised not to overbear us, even though it may seem like it at times.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." -1 Corinthians 10:13
God is always faithful to His people, even when we are not, and even when life seems to be going completely against us. Many times we don't see God's handiwork behind the scenes working for our good. Everything in life—the good and the bad—is always for our good. We may not see it, we may not believe it, but as Romans 8:28 clearly states, God is always working for our good in this life. Perhaps hardship is meant to test our faith, and strengthen us where we are weak.
"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10
God really is good all the time—we just don't realize it because we are too focused on ourselves. We feel that life is just so unfair because we haven't got it as good as so-and-so, or everything seems to be going just fine for the wicked, but we are left to trial and suffering. The fact is, the wicked will be punished in due season (Prov. 24:19-20) while those who trust God and remain faithful to Him will be rewarded. The problem is that we can't see the rewards just yet. We are still being tested and tried. However, as Galatians 6:9 says:
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (emphasis mine)
Doubts begin to discourage us when we realize that things aren’t going according to plan. Waiting is such a difficult task, and we feel that we simply can't last any longer. The rewards seem too far out of reach, and our longing has already begun to slay the appetite of our living. Day after day just drags by in desperation, and we wonder hopelessly when God will make everything right. "God, I'll be happy when..."
"Life is just too hard," we say, and we want to give up. It's no use, because we can't seem to get anything we want. Yet, what is the meaning of faith? Faith put simply, is believing God, and not just believing Him, not just believing that He can, but knowing that He will perform all He has promised, for our good. No matter how hard it may be, we must simply trust God to work everything out—both the big and the little things that discourage us. Trusting God has to be a choice we make every minute. We must put all our trust in Him, for today, for tomorrow, and for five years down the road. We must give up everything to Him—our hopes, dreams, and plans for the future—because only He can bring them to pass, and only He holds tomorrow.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6
The writer of Psalm 37 knew that God will not forsake His people when the going gets rough. Verse 25 says that, "I have been young, and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
Earlier are the well-known verses of four and five:
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."
We must make our desires God's will. Thy will be done. No mater what happens we must be willing to say and truly believe that God knows what He is doing, and He is doing it for a purpose: our good. True, it can be very discouraging when nothing seems to be going right, but in the end, the rewards will be much sweeter than we could ever have imagined. God is good. All the time.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28
So many times we are God's fair-weather friends. When life suits us, we are gushing out praises to God constantly. Life is good. God is good. But only when things are going our way. As soon as disaster strikes, we faint with weariness because we don't understand why God would do this to us! Doesn't He care?
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." -Isaiah 40:31
Life is always going to be hard. We can't expect God to erase all hardship from our lives simply because we are too weak to bear the big and even little trials of life. Thankfully God has promised not to overbear us, even though it may seem like it at times.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." -1 Corinthians 10:13
God is always faithful to His people, even when we are not, and even when life seems to be going completely against us. Many times we don't see God's handiwork behind the scenes working for our good. Everything in life—the good and the bad—is always for our good. We may not see it, we may not believe it, but as Romans 8:28 clearly states, God is always working for our good in this life. Perhaps hardship is meant to test our faith, and strengthen us where we are weak.
"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10
God really is good all the time—we just don't realize it because we are too focused on ourselves. We feel that life is just so unfair because we haven't got it as good as so-and-so, or everything seems to be going just fine for the wicked, but we are left to trial and suffering. The fact is, the wicked will be punished in due season (Prov. 24:19-20) while those who trust God and remain faithful to Him will be rewarded. The problem is that we can't see the rewards just yet. We are still being tested and tried. However, as Galatians 6:9 says:
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (emphasis mine)
Doubts begin to discourage us when we realize that things aren’t going according to plan. Waiting is such a difficult task, and we feel that we simply can't last any longer. The rewards seem too far out of reach, and our longing has already begun to slay the appetite of our living. Day after day just drags by in desperation, and we wonder hopelessly when God will make everything right. "God, I'll be happy when..."
"Life is just too hard," we say, and we want to give up. It's no use, because we can't seem to get anything we want. Yet, what is the meaning of faith? Faith put simply, is believing God, and not just believing Him, not just believing that He can, but knowing that He will perform all He has promised, for our good. No matter how hard it may be, we must simply trust God to work everything out—both the big and the little things that discourage us. Trusting God has to be a choice we make every minute. We must put all our trust in Him, for today, for tomorrow, and for five years down the road. We must give up everything to Him—our hopes, dreams, and plans for the future—because only He can bring them to pass, and only He holds tomorrow.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6
The writer of Psalm 37 knew that God will not forsake His people when the going gets rough. Verse 25 says that, "I have been young, and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
Earlier are the well-known verses of four and five:
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."
We must make our desires God's will. Thy will be done. No mater what happens we must be willing to say and truly believe that God knows what He is doing, and He is doing it for a purpose: our good. True, it can be very discouraging when nothing seems to be going right, but in the end, the rewards will be much sweeter than we could ever have imagined. God is good. All the time.
*Rachel Brown is the eldest daughter of eight children born to James and Sonya Brown. Her greatest passions lie in her avid reading and writing to the glory of God. She also enjoys music, dancing, knitting, crocheting, sewing, and cooking. Her greatest desire, beyond that of glorifying God, is to one day be a wife and mother. She is the writer of her many hopes, dreams, failures, thoughts, beliefs, and expectations for the future at Covenant Maiden.
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