Will You Believe I’m Still Good?

This past week I was reading Psalms 10, and if I am being honest, this was probably the first time in a while that I picked up my bible. As I opened my bible, I was greeted with the first line of Psalms 10. “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” 

Man, did that hit home. But how many of you have asked the same question? Maybe it was during a dry season of faith, questioning things in life, dealing with something that maybe wasn’t the greatest. Maybe it was disappointment or a hope for something was crushed. As I read through the beginning portions of Psalms 10, I was reminded that David grew closer to God because when he struggled with these questions, doubts, sin, he leaned on God and ultimately grew closer to Him. 

By the beginning of Psalms 10, the message became clear. God is hidden but still present. God may step back from the front and center portion of our life to allow for us to want and search him more. He wants to hear the desires of our heart and sometimes it takes stepping away to ask the question, do you believe I am still good? 

Psalms 10:12 begins David’s cry of prayer. What is interesting in the first line, David ends up using 2 Hebrew names of God in one sentence. “Lord” is defined as Jehovah or Yahweh, whereas “God” or “el” is defined as strength, might, or almighty. Not only is David calling on the name of God, but also the attributes of God. He is coming boldly in faith for God to rescue in all of His attributes. 

David’s example of prayer got me thinking about prayer in general, but how we live our life knowing the attributes of God and the faithfulness of God. 

David shows us that we should come in prayer not to plead our case, but to plead his character. Saying, “God, you are a good and faithful God, and you will be good and faithful to me.” 

When I opened Psalms 10, I never thought I would apply this to my life right away. This past week, I was going through an unknown stage of life. There were some really good moments, but also those moments were very unknown. The night I read Psalms 10 I was moved to enter into a time of prayer about the new experiences that were opened to me. I prayed to God that night saying, “God, you are a good God. You are faithful and have an intricate and purposeful plan for my life. You will be good, faithful, and guide me.” I surrendered over each individual thing. It was the next morning and I woke up extremely happy thinking everything was going to be a great day. Later that day, I was greeted with the most applicable moment in my life. A couple of those open doors closed. Now maybe not forever, and it was a moment where I realized God was asking me, “Even if all these doors close like they are now, will you still believe that I am good?” 

Will you still believe that I am good? 

You would think that I would have been sad, but I wasn’t because I remembered the prayer I prayed the night before because God and all of his attributes, he will be good to me.

 As I reflected on this moment, I realized how often when things don’t always go my way that I tend to forget the question God is asking me. “Will you still believe that I am good?” 

In the Christian faith, we always pray for God to do what is best for us, and He will do that, whether we are going to like the outcome or not, it is what He knows is best. When we change our perspective and mindset on focusing that God is still good with an outcome we didn’t expect we will look at life with more joy. 

In the week of me experiencing this I do have more joy, because I know that just like David, if I come to plead God’s character I will see his character shine through parts of my life. 

Those doors still haven’t opened back up yet, but I am not sad or mad about it. God is still good and he knows what is best for me and that option wasn’t it.

Today, if you are feeling stressed about a situation, or just need to be in a moment where you lay down parts of your life in surrender to God, I encourage you to do so. Come to that moment in prayer, pleading God’s character. When you do, also be aware that there may come a point where God is going to ask you one question, “Even if all these doors close like they are now, will you still believe that I am good?”