IS GOD GOOD? IS GOD ABLE?
I’m reading Psalm 33 this morning on my front porch in my rocking chair. There are so many wonderful things in this Psalm and I want to share a few of them with you.
Psalm 33:4: “For the word of the LORD holds true and we can trust everything He does.”
I could stop right there! We can trust EVERYTHING He does! Obviously, we can trust the good things. But we can also trust the delays and the denials. We can trust the painful things and the times our loved ones are not healed. He is working everything for our good and His glory.
When He doesn’t do something it isn’t because He isn’t capable. It is because He sees the future. It is because He has a higher purpose. There are so many times when He graciously answers our prayers on earth. We need to ask. But there are other times when they are answered in eternity. We need to trust absolutely everything He does, the yeses and the nos.
How do you know He is capable but when He chooses not to do something it is because there is an even higher purpose? Read on.
Psalm 33:6: “The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.”
Certainly, the God who merely spoke and the universe came into being is capable of anything. Read on.
Psalm 33:11 says, “But the LORD‘s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken.”
If He didn’t do it, it is because He had a reason. Your answer was not denied. It was delayed until eternity. Colossians 1:5 makes this clear by telling us that our “Hope is laid up for us in heaven." Revelation 21:4 says in Heaven “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone, forever.”
Your prayers are never denied, only delayed for His higher intentions. You can trust God. There is so much more in this wonderful Psalm, but fast forward to the end.
I love to pray my way through the Psalms and change the words to the first person. I’m going to do that with the conclusion in Psalm 33:20-22:
“I put my hope in You, LORD. You are my help and You are my shield. In You my heart will rejoice, and I will trust in Your holy name. Let Your unfailing love surround me, LORD, for my hope is in You alone.”
My dear precious friend, God knows what you are going through. He sees you, He hears you, He loves you. He is always good. He will answer every unselfish prayer you pray. He will answer many instantly, but He will answer all ultimately. Always pray. Always trust. God is both good and capable. He has a plan. I don't understand why He says "right now" to some requests and "later" to others. But He understands why. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. His plan will never be thwarted.
Romans 8:28-29 assures us by saying, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son.”
