Having Your Cake And Eating It Too

Another Steeple in Lynden Wa.

We often hear the expression "God is good" when something wonderful is happening to us. We pray for a positive outcome, the best thing happens, and "God is good". But is God still good when our lives are falling apart? Is he only good when good things are happening? Throughout our lives we are either entering a time of trouble, we are in a time of trouble, or we are just coming out of a time of trouble. Trouble is intrinsic to the human condition. Anyone strongly rooted in the Christian faith can say that "God is good" in any circumstance. How can we say that?
I have been reading in the Psalms and innumerable times it talks about how God upholds the brokenhearted, the poor, the widow, etc. Where was he before poverty, before bereavement, and before disappointment? He was always there, supporting, uplifting, encouraging, loving, forgiving, and teaching. The bad things that happen are part of the human condition and we cannot escape them. But in the midst of the bad stuff, God is there. If you are a believer, you have felt this.
So, we can say with confidence that God sees the big picture of our lives and knows what he is doing, is not surprised, and will hold us in his hand, both in this life and the next. Because He is there in the good times and the bad times, it is like having our cake and eating it too.