Weekly Devotional: Discovering God’s Goodness in 2018!

“Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Matthew 11:6)

When our life is in turmoil, is God still good?

We often too closely associate our circumstances with God’s goodness. When we see good things in our life, it is easy to feel the goodness of God, but when there is trouble, it is much harder to believe.

This doubt even crept into the mind of John the Baptist. John spent his life preparing the world for Jesus, but soon after Jesus arrived, John ended up in prison. While in prison, John began to doubt, wondering if Jesus really was the Savior he had been waiting for. If Jesus was the Son of God and if He was truly good, how could He allow John to suffer in prison?

Jesus responded to John’s doubts saying, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor” (Matthew 11:5).

Jesus eases John’s doubts by reminding him of His character and power. He reminds him of the miracles He has done and the wonders that have been accomplished at His hand. He also gives John a piece of advice in Matthew 11:6. At first glance, this sentence does not seem to make sense, but what Jesus is really saying is that no one should stumble because God does not live up to their view of Him. When we think He should be doing certain things in our lives and He is not, we may become doubtful about God’s goodness.

It is easy to view God through the lens of our circumstances. The thing we must remember is that God doesn’t change, even when our earthly circumstances do. He can see the big picture, far beyond our limited human view, and He knows what He’s doing.

So as 2018 begins, if you are not where you want to be, be encouraged knowing that God is always good and has a bigger plan for you. Trust in God’s goodness and use this time to grow in your relationship with Him. Make it a New Year’s resolution to become closer to Him this year. Times of trial provide us with opportunity to draw nearer to Him in ways we never have before!

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