“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” – Psalm 34:8

As I’ve been meditating on this verse, and how it applies to Grace’s and my situation, I realize that our situation is not unique. I realize that all of us have hurts and burdens, fears and worries, each in our own way. We have all at some point in our lives experienced both little and big challenges…valleys that we must walk through. If I may, please allow me to share some of what has been going through my mind recently.

God is good. “All the time.” And all the time… “God is good.” How true is this statement? Can it really be true? How can God be good all the time? Yes, God is good when we get married; God is good when we graduate; God is good when we get the job; God is good when the vacation goes well; God is good when the newborn baby is healthy and mom is doing well; God is good when the family is all together under one roof; God is good when we win the game, when the performance goes well, when the stars align.

Is God still good when we lose the job? When the labor and delivery nurses look concerned? When drivers run red lights? When the house is constantly filled with raised voices? Or rather when the silence is unbroken?

Is God still good when loved ones suffer? When death comes in all its guises: suddenly, with no warning…inevitably, after an interminable length of time…at random, taking whomever it chooses…or irreversibly extinguishing a lone candle? Is God still good when justice seems nowhere to be seen? When the burden seems too heavy and all strength is gone?

“Taste and see.”

“God is good.” All the time. “And all the time…” God is good.

All the time. How can this be? Because the goodness of God is rooted in His immutable character…He can’t not be good! It’s impossible! As long as God is God–which is forever–He will always, always, always be good!

What cause to rejoice! What reason to get up every morning and thank Him! What hope it gives to just take the next step!

You see, circumstances change. Feelings change. Even people change. One day, a loved one is healthy, the next day they are not. One day he really cares about you, the next day he does not. One day the promotion is guaranteed, the next day it has disappeared. Et cetera, et cetera…time only shows that life is a series of ups and downs! Where does that leave us, if we don’t have an everlasting, unchanging foundation? Where does that leave us, if the only thing we are relying on is our own strength, or the reliability of things which by nature are always shifting, changing?

God alone never changes. He alone remains faithful, day after day, year after year, eon after eon. The Cross of Calvary will forever remain a testament of God’s unconditional love. Who Else would willingly suffer like that for the sake of people who have rejected Him? Who Else would bear our hurts, wounds, and scars, in exchange for life, love, truth, goodness, and beauty?

What an incredibly humbling honor it is to be able to walk with Christ…to rest in His love and grace daily, to depend on Him and trust Him, to be filled with the power and joy of His Spirit?

A few weeks ago we celebrated Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead–He came back to life–defeating sin and death once and for all, and freely offering the gift of life. Not just life here on earth, but eternal, unending, sinless, hurt-less, divine heavenly life! A life of constant, close communion with Him, loving and worshiping Him and experiencing more and more His glory and goodness!

“For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17.

Jesus redeems. He does not shield His children from the hurts of this world, but He has promised to overcome, heal, redeem, reward. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3.

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30.

Jesus said that. His invitation is still open. Come to Him, taste and see that He is good.