Test results come back the way we want. We have safe travels through bad weather. We find the house we want fairly quickly. We get a good deal on a car. The new job comes with benefits we didn’t know about when we took it. And we claim,

God is good.

We claim God is good when things go our way.

But God is good all the time. That’s why and how He works all things for good.

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

It doesn’t mean we experience all things as nice, comfortable, and convenient. It doesn’t mean we’re thrilled about everything we go through. Following God’s will doesn’t mean we have neat and tidy lives. It means we find purpose and claim His goodness in whatever context we experience even when we don’t understand.

Even when the tests come back with the worst results, God is good.

Even when we are in inconvenient or life-changing accidents, God is good.

Even when our house doesn’t sell and we incur more costs than planned, God is good.

Even when we feel the promises of the new job are overpromised and undelivered, God is good.

He can be nothing other than good, because it is who He is.

So why does bad happen? Is God not in complete control?

He is.

But we are not surrounded only by good.

That doesn’t mean we can’t see and claim God’s goodness. We can be wise, discerning, and shrewd in a confusing world, claiming God is good every moment of every day.

Not because we are good, but because God is. No matter what.