Growing up, I thought about my future children quite a bit.
I remember thinking—even as a child—“I hope my children believe in God.”
I wanted them to know He existed. That He was real. That He wasn’t just a fictitious character from a movie.
In 2018, I became a mother for the first time.
Surprisingly, that particular concern didn’t arise in those early days with my newborn.
Instead, I found myself praying something else—something deeper:
“Lord, may my son and my future children know that You are GOOD. Not just that You exist. Not just that You are the Creator of the Universe. Not just that You are in control over all and in all. Lord, may they taste and see that YOU ARE GOOD.”
I’ve come to believe that much of the bait Satan offers humans stems from a single, planted lie: that God isn’t good.
And when someone doesn’t know how good God truly is…
– they’re more likely to give Him credit for things He never did,
-more prone to confusion about His character,
-more susceptible to living with a mistaken identity.
When we forget the nature of God—His goodness being a core part of who He is—we can start blaming Him for things that are completely outside His will and nature.
Beloved, yes, He allows things. But just because He allows something doesn’t mean He initiated it.
Every good and perfect gift comes from above. (James 1:17)
Here’s the truth:
The Lord is GOOD.
And… We live in a fallen world—actively oppressed by demonic forces, Governed by spiritual laws that, when broken, have real consequences,
And we dwell in a flesh that must be crucified daily through the power of the Holy Spirit.
So before you blame the Lord for the thing you're battling right now—what I’m about to say may be hard, but I pray it’s also helpful:
That thing you’re facing could very well stem from any number of the factors above—none of which are connected to God’s perfect will or plan for you.
How can you tell the difference?
Therein lies the mystery.
But may this be the foundation for whatever conclusion you land on:
“God is good. And His plans for you are always… good.”
Psalm 139:17–18 “How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I don’t know why He allows certain things to happen.
You hear me? I. Don’t. Know. Why!
But two questions I’ve started asking the Holy Spirit more often are:
– What do You want me to know? – What do You want me to do?
I still have my “why” moments. But when I ask those two questions, I more often sense the Holy Spirit whisper back in response. Disclaimer…this isn’t a formula—just my experience. (I don’t believe my finite mind can comprehend the infinite reasons behind the things God allows.)
If you’re open to it, trying asking the Holy Spirit this week those two questions regarding that “thing” you’re dealing with and then taking the time to pause, listen etc.
Now, just like someone might wrongly blame the Lord for something, others might wrongly praise Him for things He never touched.
Watch any award show. (I’m not trying to draw an “us vs. them” line here—just making an observation.) You’ll often hear someone stand on stage and thank God for helping them produce a piece of work that was riddled with wickedness or perversity.
God has no part in wickedness. Yet His mercy still abounds.
Maybe a more fitting sentiment would be thanking Him for His mercy despite ourselves. But I digress.
When we don’t view the Lord’s work—and His Word—through the lens of the objective truth that He is Good, we can end up drawing conclusions that either wrongly blame Him or falsely praise Him.
Both are forms of deception.
And that’s just the first two bullet points.
I’ll share more soon about how not believing in God’s goodness leads to a mistaken identity.
But for now… I need to go to sleep.
Let me know your thoughts on this one. And don’t forget to read His Word through the lens that He is good and HIs plans specifically for YOU,
yes FOR YOU,
—Beloved, you may squirm but hear me—
His plans for YOU are always GOOD. Pondered Thought
