The world is hard these days. Even though scripture tells us “there’s nothing new under the sun,” many of us may feel caught off guard, discouraged, and even saddened at times. With the Internet and social media, we all have a front-row seat to tragedies and hardships around the globe, and we can almost feel the punches in our guts as we mourn events that just shouldn’t happen.

On a personal level, I’ve sat across from someone in my youth who finally confessed feelings for someone outside of our commitment to one another. I’ve been told by a doctor, “There’s no longer a heartbeat in your womb.” I’ve shared space in a hospital waiting room, shoulder-to-shoulder with a beloved friend immersed in depression and ready to give up because she just couldn’t muster a positive thought. None of these things were expected or planned, and they each caused worry and stress while tempting me to lose hope. No doubt, you have your own harrowing stories, too.

BUT…we must not confuse a world that is broken with a God who is not. What may first appear devastating is really a story still being written by a God who knows more, sees more, and offers more than anything we can experience in this lifetime.

Our Broken World

This world is sinful, so bad things are going to happen. Jesus Himself declared, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Once Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, things changed and sin entered the picture. What once was perfect by God’s design became broken by Satan’s temptation, and he’s been deceiving, luring, and manipulating ever since. 

The hard truth is that Satan does have some reign in this world. 1 John 5:19 says, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” Rest assured that the enemy does not have full control, though. God is sovereign over all, including Satan, as demonstrated in the book of Job, where he is only given permission within the boundaries set by God. And his dominion is limited to unbelievers, since believers in Jesus have been rescued from his power and have turned to the power of God (Colossians 1:13, Acts 26:18). This is a great reason to share the Gospel, because the world is full of people who don’t know Jesus and who therefore don’t follow Him! These people are believing the lies of the enemy, whether they realize it or not. Between their motivations, the flaws of all humanity, and Satan’s schemes, this world will remain far from perfect and our hearts will continue to get broken…but we can take heart, the remainder of John 16:33 gives us hope. Jesus proclaims, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

Our Good God

James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” God can only be good, and He only gives good. It is the enemy who causes harm, whereas Jesus came to give us life to the full (John 10:10). It is Satan who twists things and inserts doubt, just like he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden, when he slyly questioned what God said, implying that God was keeping something valuable from them (Genesis 3:1-7). Spoiler alert: God is not only the provider of goodness, but He does much more than we can even think to ask for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

The Bible tells the story of Abraham, who was following God’s commands by taking his only son, Isaac, up to a mountain top, where he was asked to sacrifice his precious child he had waited a lifetime to gain. In faith, Abraham journeyed, built an altar, and bound his son, although still hopeful that God would provide the “lamb” to sacrifice. Indeed, as Abraham readied himself, the Lord sent a ram to take Isaac’s place. In praise and honor, Abraham called God Jehovah-Jireh, meaning “the God who provides.” In fact, there are 169 verses in scripture that illustrate God’s provision. Philippians 4:19 emphatically states it, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” We can confidently hope He will show up for us!

Relationship Versus Transaction

God in His own triune essence is relational with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as they are One but with three distinct roles. He also wants to be relational, not transactional, with us. He loves us and has always had a plan to save us (Jeremiah 31:3, John 3:16-17). His desire is and always will be closeness, as James 4:8 promises, “draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Likely because of God’s sovereignty and ability to do literally anything, it can be easy to fall into the pattern of asking and receiving with Him. God, however, is not an ATM or a genie of convenience and grand wishes. Although He hears and answers all prayers, sometimes He responds with a “no” or a “not now,” because it’s not what’s best for us. We must resist the devil’s temptation to divide us from our loving Father with lies that sound like God is failing us, or that we aren’t worthy of His gifts. Neither are true.

God’s goodness is most evident in our lives when we invite Him into each day with us. Some like the saying, “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.” It’s actually not found in scripture, and we also know that God only gives us good things. Sometimes, though, we do go through hard times, and our hope is found in the truth that we will never walk that journey alone or without His mighty strength. In Joshua 1:5, God promises, “I will never leave or forsake you” and in Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites us to give Him our burdens in exchange for rest.

As I reflect on my aforementioned personal examples that caused such unimaginable grief, I am able to witness about God’s faithfulness as He walked me through each and every hardship. Even though I traveled through valleys and experienced loss, He offered hope and strength along the way. On the other side, years later, there is even more clarity (and celebration) for the abundant blessings that have come from those difficult experiences. He knew and always knows how to use every single thing for our good (Romans 8:28). 

The world may be broken, but God is assuredly not! How’s your relationship with Him? Hope is abundant in His embrace!

Lord, God, Your goodness is so vast, and it never ceases to amaze me how You lavish Your children with it. Help us to see it every day, even in the hard times. Secure our hope in You and not in our circumstances, for You will guide us through. May we always remember that, in Jesus’ name, Amen.