A Prayer to Rest in God‘s Goodness When Everything is Changing
By Keri Eichberger
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” - Psalm 23:6
I finally found the photo I’d been looking for. It had been taken just short of four years ago at the wake of my beloved “Papa.” It was a sweet captured moment on my phone of me and my sister, Amy, with our grandmother, who’d just lost the love of her life, sitting side-by-side with her only sister, Mitza. I was prompted to share the memory with Amy as Mitza had suddenly passed the prior day. Dodie, as we knew my maternal grandmother, had sadly left us not even two years before that. And what finally cracked the emotional well within us both was playing the live photo I’d sent, to hear the voice of Amy’s also recently deceased husband chiming, “One, two, three, look at me.” A stamped memory of four people we loved dearly—that less than four years ago were precious, prominent threads woven deeply into the joy-filled parts of the beautiful quilt of our lives—now gone. Left as treasures to store away in our souls.
In the moment, I was taken back by my reaction and words released in solitude. I can’t take it anymore. Lord, no more. I continued reflecting. So much has changed. This hurts too much. I know this is part of life, but it’s happening too fast. For once, I allowed myself to unload on God and feel. Many times in the past, I would suppress what felt like nonsense and smother my feelings with the truths of God that I had grown in confidence of. He is in control. He certainly loves me. He’s always with me. It will all be OK. Yes, God is still good.
God is indeed good.
And this is where I want to place our primary focus today. Well, first, I want to validate and justify the pain and struggle of change. You may not necessarily be grieving the loss of loved ones, or maybe you are. But it may look more like a child that has moved out, a divorce changing your entire family dynamic, a life-altering diagnosis, or possibly a job or career change. Whatever the change you are currently encountering, know that with any change comes a death to the old. A way of life that you may have come to find great comfort in. There is no denying that death or loss of anything that has brought us joy can cause hurt, discomfort, and grief. I feel it. You can allow yourself to feel it, too.
But bring your feelings before the Lord. Because though God is still in control and has a good plan for your future, he also knows it won’t always be easy, and he continues to care so deeply. He knows that it will be hard, but he still loves you like crazy through it all. And his love will follow you through it all. Which means his goodness will also follow you. Yes, he knows there is so much good ahead, and because of his constant love, he stays with us with compassion through the growing, persevering pains we weather.
God is still good.
He is good because he is there when we hurt. He is good because he cares and shows up when we suffer. He is good because he’ll never leave. And he is good because he will write, and is most certainly still writing, a really good story with your life. He is good because he is God. The God of perfect love. The ever-present, loving, good God over all creation. When you hurt because of all that’s changed, or what you’ve lost, like I did coming across that picture, our God is there. When you fear more change is close, our good, sovereign God is still there. And when you find yourself weighed down by a future that will likely become unrecognizable and drenched with more loss, remember our good God. Our Almighty, loving Father, who will 100% still and always be there.
His constant love for you means good for you throughout your entire life. He is good now—I bet if you look close enough around you, you’ll see it—and he will be good for all eternity. Rest in his goodness this very moment with me. His faithful, unfailing, always-following goodness.
Let’s pray:
Dear heavenly Father, this world is continually changing, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Sometimes it hurts. Deeply. Lord, we know you are in control, and we know you love us. But it still hurts. Help us to look around, see the good, and focus on your unwavering goodness. On the truth that no matter what we lose, no matter what comfort escapes our comfortable worlds, you are always there following us, and you are still so good. You can see what we can not. You know your plan is good. Give us confidence and comfort today in your good plan. And help us rest in your good and perfectly loving, sovereign hands. Thank you for blessing us abundantly. Thank you for staying near to our broken hearts and for saving our crushed spirits. (Psalm 34:18) In Your faithful Name, Jesus, we pray, amen.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Suzanne D Williams
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