Seven-hundred women sing with reckless abandon, “You are good, good, oh. You are good, good, oh.” Hands stretch high as they harmonize the heavenly tune. I try to sing with them, but something in my spiritual gut cracks open. The well deep inside bursts, and I double over in a silent scream.
God is good, but this isn’t.
Piercing pain, loss beyond words rupture my soul. My precious friend is gone. We prayed every single day for over a year, claiming healing Scriptures over her body, fasting, pleading, proclaiming, declaring. I believed. She believed. So many people believed that the miracle would come.
But she is now with the Lord, rejoicing. Her husband and five children are here, grieving.
God is good, but this isn’t.
I don’t understand. I don’t understand why Scripture says one thing when reality seems to say another . . . sometimes. There must be a loftier view. There must be a greater truth. Higher ways. Higher thoughts. I know the verse, but it offers little comfort to me now. What is this way that is so much higher than mine? What are these higher thoughts of the Divine?
God is good, but this isn’t.
I know that Scripture is faith not formula, but where two or more are gathered in His name, He is there. He has given us authority. We can bind. We can loose. We can command mountains like cancer to be removed and cast into the sea. We did. But cancer remained. Cancer took her home and left her family here.
God is good, but this isn’t.
I know the theology. I understand that we live in a fallen world and fallen things happen in a fallen world. I understand how sin crept in and brought consequences on the earth and into our physical bodies.
I know that God didn’t cause this. But He could have prevented this. He could’ve answered differently. Sometimes I long to be God so that I can tell a different story. Yes, the story would’ve turned out so differently if I had written it. It would’ve been miraculous and triumphant and victorious!
But the second such thoughts take hold, I know that I am far too small and unqualified to write my own story, much less anyone else’s.
After all, if I had written Jesus’ story, He wouldn’t have died either.
Then I remember the words given to another disenchanted soul . . . “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matthew 11:6 ESV).
Jesus sent these sentiments to his cousin, John, who was languishing in a prison cell while the Messiah’s ministry grew. Lonely, left behind, forlorn, and forgotten, John sends a message to the One who could end it all.
“Are you the Messiah or should we look for another?” he pleads.
Wasn’t he whispering what we all want to scream in the midst of tragedy?
The real Messiah would put an end to this! The real Messiah would come! The real Messiah would stop this injustice! The real Messiah would heal! Are you not the real Messiah?
The real Messiah responds in a flesh-searing way, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Translation: “Blessed is the one who believes that I am good when life isn’t.”
Do I believe that? Do I believe that God is good when so much down here isn’t?
The song continues. Surely in a room this size I’m not the only woman whose heart is being crushed beneath the weight of these words. Surely, I’m not the only wounded warrior.
Sometimes you have to make a choice. You can wait for the song to change, or you can let the song change you. That’s when a song can become more than a song.
A song can become an act of war, a prophetic proclamation, an emphatic declaration that what I see today will not be what I see tomorrow.
A song can become a battle cry sung into a different dimension, one that rules this one, one that commands dust to become flesh and dead things to become alive again (Romans 4:17).
A song can become a testimony confirming that the story is miraculous and triumphant and victorious, but we just haven’t gotten to that part of the story yet.
Sometimes we must sing what we believe, not what we feel. We must sing what we know, not what we see.
So, I sing — not as a reflection of this present reality but as a declaration of who He is despite this present reality.
I sing in gratefulness that my friend’s suffering is over. I sing in humble faith that the suffering her family must now endure will not be without redemption.
I sing, commanding the bad that is to surrender to the good that is to come.
I sing, telling the testimony of some distant tomorrow which will proclaim a greater victory, a mightier miracle, a loftier triumph than any story I could feign to tell.
I sing because beauty will come from ashes, gladness will come from mourning, and praise will come from despair (Isaiah 61:3).
I sing not because of what I see today but because of what I have seen and what I will see again — the goodness of my God in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13).
“You are good, good, oh. You are good, good, oh.”
Blessed is the one who believes that He is good when life isn’t. -Catherine Segars: Click To Tweet Leave a Comment
Michele Morin says
Oh, heavens, what would we do without good theology?
Thanks for words today, Catherine, that cement my resolve to stay close to the truth. When even John the Baptist needs reassurance to keep him from throwing over the whole gig, I know for sure that I’d better soak my brain in Scripture and keep the lines of communication open. When the inexplicable happens, I want the truth of WHO God is to override the mess of what I see and feel.
Blessings to you!
Catherine Segars says
I know. I am so encouraged that this moment from John’s life is included in Scripture. Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” (Mathew 11:11). John baptized the Messiah. He saw the clouds part and heard the voice of the Father say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” If anyone knew who Jesus was, John did. And yet the clouds of adversity and unmet expectations even discouraged him. That is when offense is poised to take hold, and doubt can create seeds that reap a bitter harvest if not plucked. John obviously expected Jesus to act quite differently than he did. Don’t we all? If the greatest among us struggles, surely we will as well. So we are indeed blessed when we refuse this offense.
Blessings to you, Michele!
Amber Northrop says
Thank you! This is so good… thank you for your gut wrenching honesty coupled with scripture. So beautiful!
Catherine Segars says
Thank you, Amber. So glad this blessed you!
Jas says
Thank you!! I believe!! It is hard to ignore emotions and not react when life isn’t going well, I pray God will work on this within myself!!
Catherine Segars says
So true! God created our emotions, and they can be a tremendous blessing. But we must not let them rule us. Praying for God to give you strength in the good times and the bad.
Blessings!
Joe Clem says
Yes! Yes! Yes! “Blessed is the one who believes that God is good when life isn’t.”
One thing we know, when “the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Rev 21:3-4
God has a purpose for our sorrows now, just as He did with Jesus. Let’s not waste them. They will be some of our crowns we can give to Him when He is among us.
Catherine Segars says
Yes, they will be our crowns! I’m working on a one-woman show called “Crowned” which is about how God weaves all of our struggles and trials into a glorious crown. One day these heartaches will bless us and our Lord for all eternity!
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
Dawn Ferguson-Little says
So true today’s reading. We might ask alot of questions and ask why does God heal this person on this earth. Not this person. Especially when they are saved. Why if not going to heal by himself why does the treatment the Doctors use not work. We could ask all these questions now when alive on earth. Read Gods word the Bible stand on his promises in his word for that person that we know is now well. They themselves stand on them also. Plus get pray for them. Pray with them. They still might not get healed on this side of earth. Family’s might plus Friends be left sad and asking why God did you take them home to be with you. But we have too I believe as Christian and it hard say God knows best and why he didn’t heal them. Why he took them home to be with him. But even though we have not got them on this earth anymore. We will get the answers to our questions when are time up on earth and we go to Glory to be with them. We have to remember they not want us to be sad. They want us to be happy and remember the good times we had together with them. Plus next time we see them in Glory with Jesus we will see them with brand new bodys now more sickness or suffering. Brand new bodys. So that should give us something too look forward too. Love Dawn God Bless xxxx ps. That the why I look at thoes who I know who I have lost that have been sick.
Catherine Segars says
Bless you Dawn! Yes, we must look to eternity when we will be with our loved ones again. There, all will be forgotten and every tear will be wiped away.
Thank you for commenting!
Dawn Ferguson-Little says
So true today’s reading. We might ask alot of questions and ask why does God heal this person on this earth. Not this person. Especially when they are saved. Why if not going to heal by himself why does the treatment the Doctors use not work. We could ask all these questions now when alive on earth. Read Gods word the Bible stand on his promises in his word for that person that we know is not well. They themselves stand on them also. Plus get pray for them. Pray with them. They still might not get healed on this side of earth. Family’s might plus Friends be left sad and asking why God did you take them home to be with you. But we have too I believe as Christian and it hard say God knows best and why he didn’t heal them. Why he took them home to be with him. But even though we have not got them on this earth anymore. We will get the answers to our questions when are time up on earth and we go to Glory to be with them. We have to remember they would not want us to be sad. They want us to be happy and remember the good times we had together with them. Plus next time we see them in Glory with Jesus we will see them with brand new bodys now more sickness or suffering. Brand new bodys. So that should give us something too look forward too. Love Dawn God Bless xxxx ps. That the way I look at thoes who I know who I have lost that have been sick.
Fay Wallage says
This is good! Very good! And so true. I’ve been there several times, and through each experience, I’ve grown spiritually and today can honestly say I truly believe and agree with you. I’m encouraged even more by your words. God is always good!
Catherine Segars says
Thank you, Fay! I’m encouraged by your encouragement. Lol. God bless you!
Dawn Gray says
Wise words! Hope for troubled times. Thanks so much for this. So many need this encouragement that is so full of truth!!
Catherine Segars says
Thank you, Dawn. I’m glad to hear that this word resonated with you. God bless you!
Christina Parker says
This is so true and we must be reminded to press into Him. He is always good when life seems unfair, yet He is our constant hope, our safe place, our victory.
Catherine Segars says
Yes we do need that reminder. I wrote this for myself. I need to remind myself of this often. Thank you, Christina!
Beth Williams says
Catherine,
I have often wondered why God allows certain things to happen. My elderly neighbor has lost both her children in their 40s, plus hubby & most of her family. Yet God is still good. I can’t understand why my parents had such bad experiences with dementia & others do not. It is hard to sing songs when life isn’t going well. We must remember we are in a war with the evil one. He is trying to destroy us. Like you said, prayer & scripture will help cement this idea that God is good no matter the circumstances. After all He took our punishment & died on a cross for us. One day we will get to see Jesus & ask Him these questions. Until then just remember His goodness in the midst of trials.
Blessings 🙂
Catherine Segars says
Beth,
I am so very sorry for your neighbor’s loss. My heart aches for people who go through such tragedy. Yes, one day we will get to be with Jesus forever, and He will wipe away every tear. And all the suffering will be seen through a very different lens. I pray healing and redemption over your neighbor. Thanks for commenting. Blessings to you!
Agnes says
So sorry for your loss Catherine. God bless you and that dear family.
Catherine Segars says
Thank you, Agnes. So kind of you to post this. This sweet family could certainly use your prayers. God bless you!
Rebecca says
Oh Catherine, I can relate to your sentiment. I lost my sweet, beautiful best friend to cancer 5 years ago at age 41 with a 5 month old and 18 month old. I, too, truly prayed and believed that healing would come this side of Heaven but it didn’t. I had a season of wrestling, and honestly, some days still do. But, I hold onto what I know is true with a vice grip!! Thank you for this beautiful reminder today and I share your pain. I’m praying for you – one sister to another. Thank you for sharing your heart, your story. ❤️
Rebecca
Catherine Segars says
Rebecca, I am so, so sorry that you lost your best friend. There is no making sense of such tragedies. My heart breaks for you and that sweet family, for so many families. Since I wrote this piece, I have seen other families move on my prayer list from healing to peace and comfort. And there have been other sudden tragedies. It hurts so badly. I still want to write a different story, but some stories won’t make sense this side of heaven. We must wrestle to gain that higher perspective. Some things we will only understand when we are face to face with God. This requires faith. Faith in His providence, faith in His redemption, and faith in His goodness. Praying for you, too Rebecca. Thank you for sharing your heart and story!
P.S. I’ve just recorded this piece for my blogcast and will be posting soon. If you want experience these words as I share them from my heart, please check out my website. God bless.
Susan L. says
Catherine, thank you for this. It puts into words so beautifully what I experienced too. The past 10 yrs. have been so difficult. A mother dealing with depression, the slow loss of my father and at the end of that same year, a tragedy for my sister’s 24 yr. old son, that has left him unresponsive. 4 months later the loss of my oldest son at 30 yrs old to Leukemia. It was only a 1 1/2 weeks after he was diagnosed that God took him home. He left a wife and 1yr old daughter. The losses seemed unbearable. I too know the theology, the scriptures and had the same questions as you and in the midst of it all, I found a church where the worship came alive for me. There were so many Sundays when all I could do was stand with tears streaming down my cheeks and let the words wash over me like medicine. It became a time of healing and as you said, declaring in defiance to the circumstances, what I know in my heart to be true about my God. He is always, always good and He alone is always worthy of my praise. I continue to worship through and He heals my heart. Heaven is more precious to me now than ever before and His promise of what we will soon leave behind fills me with joy and much anticipation.
Blessings to you, Catherine.
Catherine Segars says
Oh Susan, your message makes my tears overflow. I’m so sorry for your loss and suffering. I just found out yesterday that a precious two-year old we have been praying for has cancer again. Without God, she too will be going to her eternal home. We are praying for a miracle. We will not stop praying and believing. You are so right, these heartaches point us to another place. They focus our attention on eternity, where our faithfulness in this life will be rewarded forevermore, where every tear will be wiped away, and our loved ones will never hurt again. Every heartache and loss shifts our focus more. Your faithfulness inspires me! I pray for God to bless you on your journey. I pray that God brings you beauty for ashes, gladness for morning, and praise for the spirit of despair.
I am working a recorded version of “God is Good, But This Isn’t” for the blogcast on my website. I hope to have that up by next weekend. Hearing it might bless you. And I am working on a follow up to this message which will be on my website as well. Thank you for sharing your story, Susan. Blessings to you . . .
Susan L. says
I am very much looking forward to hearing your blogcast. There’s so much heart ache being experienced by so many, your words couldn’t be anymore timely. I’ll be praying for that precious 2 yr. old and her family. I’ll be praying for you too, as you minister to hearts.
Catherine Segars says
Thank you, Susan. I can’t thank you enough for your prayers. This precious family is weighing heavily on my heart. I know that they thank you too. I can only imagine how hard it is to live through what you have gone through. Your faith and ready assurance of God’s goodness are such an inspiration. Truly, the Lord is our only hope. I do plan to have this blogcast up by Saturday. You can subscribe on my website to get notifications of new blogcasts. God bless you. Please keep in touch.