My husband has battled some scary health things these past few years. I haven't talked about them because they were not my battles. They did affect me, though. They frightened me. They caused me to feel anxious and worried. I could not go to appointments with my husband because of COVID restrictions, so each time he went to the doctor, I would eagerly await his texts giving me the updates. One morning, while sitting reading my Bible, I received his text about a potentially life-altering diagnosis. My stomach dropped. But then I looked down at my Bible, down to the Psalm of the day. What was it? Psalm 136, which starts, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good" (New International Version, 2011, Ps. 136:1). And I asked myself, "Can God still be good if this is true?"
I had to wrestle with myself for a bit. I knew that the Bible was true. I knew that I had to believe all of it was true, or none of it was true. Honestly, I could not live if it was untrue. Still, reckoning with my husband's potential diagnosis and the goodness of God proved difficult. I had to remind myself constantly that God could be good, even if circumstances were not good. God could still provide, give peace, sustain, and lead in wisdom. He would still be God, even if my husband had this diagnosis.
In the end, the doctors treated my husband for the condition, but it does not look as serious as initially suggested. My husband is doing well and may not even have the problem. God is good! God is good not because my husband's good health is progressing, though. God is good because He is God, and perfect goodness is inherent in His character. I pray that I can remember this when the next hard thing comes, because it will. Life is full of hardship, just as God is full of goodness sufficient to face it.
New International Version. (2011). BibleGateway.com. http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/
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