God is Good, Even When Life is Bad

“I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” ‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭13:6‬, ESV‬‬) You wouldn’t guess it, but these words were written by a man who spent a huge chunk of his life on the run and hiding in caves. The psalmist, David, lived through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but the crazy thing is that this Psalm wasn’t written during a “high”. Read the rest of Psalm 13 and you’ll quickly realize that David was living through a season of dismal circumstances and deep depression as he penned these words. And yet David knew something that I often need to be reminded of. He knew that the goodness of God is so great and so rich that the only appropriate response—even in the midst of great trials and struggles—is to praise him. David chose joy despite his circumstances because he KNEW that God is good, even when life is bad. Trusting in God’s character—trusting in the goodness of God—enables JOY. Just like yours, my life is full of highs and lows too. I am blessed with countless beautiful, blissful moments, like the one picture here. But I am also no stranger to sorrow, sadness, and pain. But what grounds me through it all is knowing that joy is not a response to my circumstances; joy is a response to the goodness of God. And through it all, I can say that God has dealt with me bountifully.