God's goodness

Satan was a beautiful angel at one time, he is still beautiful but completely evil. Satan hates God, he wants to take the place of God and his main goal is to destroy God, but since he can't overpower and destroy God, he does everything to hurt Him. I've been reading through the Old Testament over this last year and so many question marks, but I just keep reading. I wanted an overview. So much of it hasn't made any sense. Why do the Israelites keep turning against God? Why does God punish them? Why is there so much death and destruction? And evil and sin? And pain and suffering? I doubted God so much because He seemed evil as well. Whole cities would sin and turn against Him, and He would destroy everyone in it. Why? I thought God was good. Why would He destroy people?

But God is good.

There can be evil happening all around and at the center there is good.

Think of a picture of destruction, mass chaos, screaming, crazy happening all around and then you stop right where you are and see something beautiful right in front of you. The moment goes into slow motion, frozen in time and you notice there's something beautiful in the midst of the chaos. That's how God is in the midst of our trials and chaos.

He is still good. Even if He seems evil.

See let me explain.

Satan can't destroy God so his next best thing is to hurt God. Satan lures us into sin, doing all kinds of things to make us turn our backs on God. And here's God and all He wants is for us to love Him in return. He isn't going to force us to love Him, just like our husbands didn't force us to marry them. I chose to marry Sam on July 9, 2011. Sam didn't force me or overpower me, he just loved me and hoped I would choose to marry him. And here's satan working to ruin that love between us and God, trying to seduce us with a love affair.

So God gets jealous of whatever is stealing our attention from Him.

You might be facing a tragedy; a death, a miscarriage, a loss, you might be facing an addiction; drugs, alcohol, you might be facing a rough season; loneliness, boredom, etc. and you may be thinking where is God? Is God real? Why is there so much evil in this world? Why do I have to go through so many trials and hard times? I hate my life!!

But God is still good.

Satan is the one distracting you from God's goodness, but God is still good even if it seems like He's not.

I was reading through Lamentations and there's all kinds of awful trials, pain, tears, suffering and agony and yet, the writer still dares to hope in the Lord. You read it and think holy cow this writer has a rough life, he has no reason to live, how much more suffering can he face, but then he still dares to hope in the Lord. If he can still see God's goodness in the midst of his life then so can I.

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies are new every morning. I say to myself, The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him! The Lord is GOOD to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for the salvation from the Lord." Lamentations 3:21-26

"For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow." Lamentations 3:31-33