…no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Psalms 84:11
A prevalent feeling among those who resist worshipping God is that God might hold back good things from us. This nagging feeling is as old as the Garden of Eden. The serpent told Eve that the reason God didn’t want Eve eating the forbidden fruit was that “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). If the serpent said it, it’s probably a lie. We’re afraid that if we give God authority over our lives, He will deprive us of the enjoyment of life. We must remind ourselves that God is one who created the enjoyment of this life for our benefit. God made life pleasurable for us to enjoy.
However, God is all-wise and all-knowing. Scripture says His ways are perfect. So God knows what is best for us, and like the best of fathers, He only wants the best for us. So sometimes what we want in the moment is not best for us in the long-term. In God’s mercy, He protects us from things that are too tempting and too distracting. In fact, God uses our struggles to bring us closer to Himself. Have you ever noticed how you pray differently in desperate times? God knows how to give good things to His children. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
Heavenly Father, thank You for watching over my life. You know what is best for me, and You know what I can be trusted with. Help me to grow in my trust in You. Help me to rest in the knowledge that my life is in Your hands, You know what is best, and Your ways are perfect. I surrender my life to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
