The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him. – Nahum 1:7 NLT
Toby Mac’s song “The Goodness” featuring Blessing Offor is one that was born out of the painful loss of his son.
Toby shares, “I wrote on a napkin one day, “You’re still the goodness in my life, and I started to believe that, and to see how God is good to me. That’s when I wrote The Goodness. I began to think about how gracious God is and how He gives us little glimpses of His goodness, even in the valley.”
To be honest, I sometimes get anxious when I think of losing a family member. Knowing it’s inevitable can leave me feeling helpless. Life is filled with pain and grief we cannot escape.
John 16:33 states, “Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows.” It is not a matter of if, but when. Understanding this can help prevent us from being completely shocked when it happens.
Pain reveals where we have placed our greatest trust. For example, if our trust is in money, when we lose it, we lose security. If our hope is in our friends, or appearance then we lose our sense of worth if they disapprove of us. Only Jesus can sustain us all the time!
When I am going through a painful storm, I ask God to show me what I’m depending on. He allows the hardship to be a reminder to turn to Him. We can choose to allow trials to make us more like Jesus or we can harden our hearts in bitterness.
So how can we prepare for hard days and have hope as we navigate through loss? Here are a few steps to help you move toward God’s goodness.
1. Rest in the promise of the gospel. We have a God who is a rescuer, and His greatest rescue operation was to save us from our sins. This same God promises to never leave us. No matter what comes our way, we can rest in this truth. Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” No one else can make that promise.
2. Develop a strong prayer life. When we pray, we begin to see how gracious God has been to us. He will help us recall His goodness in our lives. As Toby Mac stated, “I began to think about how gracious God is.” Prayer is an anchor, reminding us God is in control and He has proven Himself to be faithful in the past. Take time to pour your heart out to God. He understands your pain. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.”
3. Connect with other believers. A common lie is believing that no one will understand what I’m going through, or others will judge me. Don’t give in to the temptation of isolating yourself. We are hard-wired for connection. Leaning on your church, family, and friends for support helps you and them. Relationships are a gift given to us by the Lord to help us navigate through hard times.
4. Don’t give up. Often, when faced with loss, many accuse God of failing them or being bad and they stop talking to God for good. It’s okay to ask God questions and to process your pain with Him. However, we must avoid becoming God’s judge. He is in control and our job is to trust, even when we can’t figure out how to put the pieces back together. Decide to follow Him no matter what happens.
Dig Deeper
1. Who is one person you should reach out to during this hard time? Give them a call today and thank them for being there.
2. What is the promise of the gospel? Why is this understanding so important when we go through trials?
3. God’s goodness is all around us. Share three things you are grateful for with a friend or family member.
4. How do you see God using pain to change you?
