Question: So a derecho (hurricane-strength, straight-line winds) comes through your city and your neighborhood and knocks lots of trees down at 10:30 at night during a June thunderstorm creating a disaster. Is God good?
Answer: Absolutely!
Question: During that storm or any other, if the tree falls where no one gets hurt, is God good?
Answer: Absolutely!
Question: During that storm or any other, if the tree falls on your house is God good?
Answer: Absolutely!
Question: During that storm or any other, if the tree hurts or kills someone is God good?
Answer: Absolutely!
If our view of God’s goodness depends on whether or not we are safe in the thunderstorm or on whether the tree lands so that there is no damage to anyone or anything, we are following a form of the prosperity gospel.
The tree landed on my house. My neighbors’ houses are condemned. An older lady died from injuries caused by the storm.
GOD IS GOOD. None of these events change who God is nor how much God loves us. GOD IS GOOD.
Don’t fall for the false teaching that says that this is only true when good things happen to you. It reminds me of a call and response from my childhood:
Leader: God is Good…
People: All the time!
Leader: All the time…
People: God is Good!
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
Mark 10:18
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
2 Peter 1:3
May you be blessed by God’s word today.