He Only Does Good

 

This post is based on a passage I have been meditating on for a while now. It has touched my heart in a special way and brought a precious amount of peace. 

"Thou art good and doest good; teach me Thy statutes."      Psalm 119:68

Earlier this spring, a large decision was on the table that affected our family as a whole, but myself personally in several ways. The final decision was not up to me and my mind and emotions were in turbulence as I wrestled and cried over the factors of the choice and the various changes that the final result would bring. Finally, the Lord set my heart at rest. 

I am thankful for how the Lord uses books written by fellow Christians to teach and bless our hearts. In one of my all-time favorite books, "Queechy" by Susan Warner, there is a dialogue where Hugh is talking to Fleda and I have rehearsed that section over and over to myself.

"I had been disbelieving it ("Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart." Psalm 73:1); and because I could not see how things were going to work good, I thought they were going to work evil. I thought we were wearing out our lives alone here in a wearisome way, and I forgot that it must be the very straightest way that we could get home. I am sure we shall not want anything that will do us good; and the rest I am willing to want..." ("Queechy" chapter 28)

The decision was made. It was final, and it was not what I had desired the outcome would be, but the Lord set my heart to quietness. He is good and only does good! It is not in His nature to do evil, it is impossible for Him, for if He did, it would be sin. Only good can He bring to pass. Even the events that occur that we view as evil, are still good in His eyes for, if we are a child of God, He is only allowing in our lives what will bring us more into the likeness of Jesus Christ and that is a good work indeed. I could rest in God in the decision. He is writing a story with all the characters in mind, He sees the perfect and eternal scope of life, so could not I trust Him that this turn in the story was for good? 

Where is your turn in your story? The turn that you never thought would be in the plan. Singleness? Infertility? Lack of a job? Relational difficulties? The loss of a friend? Relinquish it to His hands, set your eyes upon Him, and trust that He is accomplishing His perfect and good will in your life. Does this take away the pain? No indeed, but it does quiet the spirit with confidence that we have a loving Father Who only works out His good plan for our eternal good. So we can boldly say, along with Paul, that "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28