God's Goodness

I have been thinking a lot about God's goodness recently. I think more appropriately, it should be His mercy and grace.
I go back about seven and a half years ago to when I went into preterm labor and loved on a one pound baby who now sits with her Creator. I think about a dad dying from cancer and being reconciled with him 2 months before he departed this earth. I think about moving back to Indiana from Arkansas and leaving a life I had come to love. I think about how others have responded to my children in an unloving manner.
I look at all of those yucky situations and I see the good that God brought from the ruins. In the midst of those situations I could honestly say "God is Good!" In the midst of the storm, I made a point to say "Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to go through this!" I have noticed that when something great happens one of the first things out of a person's mouth is "God is good!" Are they as quick to say God is good in the midst of turmoil? Don't get me wrong... I agree 100% that He is good. However, isn't God good, ALL the time, even in the bad times??? To say or believe otherwise is to discredit the very nature of God.

I think, too often, people have a skewed view of our Creator. A friend once presented it this way: "We see God as holding us on His lap and us stroking his beard, kind of like Santa Claus. We forget about God's wrath and punishment." Isn't that so true for many? He allows us to walk through the valleys to build us, to grow our character. Romans 5:3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

God is Good, ALL the time... not just during the good times!!!