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A couple years ago, a friend asked me, “Why do you say, “God is good…all the time?””
My husband, Lewis, actually started it years ago and I honestly do not think it is his original phrase. Lewis has always had a way with words and he loves to encourage people, help people, and to find the good in the difficult things of life.
Some churches we have attended have spoken this phrase as a congregation. The pastor would preach out, “God is Good!!!” and the congregation would shout, “All the Time!!!” It was such an encouragement to see all Christians come together and forget their problems and praise the Lord.
Phil. 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”
After pondering the question for several days, I came to many conclusions as to why I now have, “God is good…all the time” as part of my normal speech. Although, as I write this, I have to admit, I have not said it in a while. Life’s challenges have a way of getting one down. As I write and review this, it is encouraging me to get my focus fixed back on the Lord. I pray that as others read why God is good, that it will encourage someone else as well.
1. God is in control. As we all know, life has its ups and downs. When I hear the phrase or say the phrase, it is a simple reminder that even though I may not understand what is going on in my life-God is still good-all the time-in all he does. It is easy to say “God is good” in the up times; but, can someone who is in the down times say “God is good…”? Also, if we are confronted with daily challenges like sickness, financial problems, child concerns, or other issues that do not go away quickly or may never go away-it is a nice reminder that “God is good…all the time.” I love this verse.
Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” When I think of “God is good…all the time,”
I also think of this verse, because I have to remind myself that just because I do not think something is “good” in my life does not mean God is not good. He is still good and one day when I am in heaven He will say something like, “Remember ____blank____ in you life? You thought it a bad thing? This is what I was doing. I meant it for good.” After God’s explanation, all that I will have went through in my life will make sense. I do not have to make sense of i
t now. I can leave it to the Lord and let him work his goodness in my life, ”God’s is good…all the time.”
2. Keep having faith. This phrase “God is good…all the time” is a simple reminder to have faith in him. If I can not believe God is good all the time, then I see this as a lack of faith in my Lord Jesus. When we tell our children something and they ask, “Why?” They are not having faith in us as their parents. Sometimes they need to trust their parents without an explanation. God is the same way. We will not always know “Why?” It says in the Bible that if I lack faith I am not pleasing to the Lord. I do not want to be unpleasing to my Lord and Saviour. One of my favorite verses to remind me of this:
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
So, I love the phrase “God is good…all the time” as a nice, constant reminder to keep having faith in the Lord.
3. Stay encouraged. God tells us to encourage one another; so, I like to say the phrase to prayerfully strengthen someone or maybe just brighten their day. Not that the receiver is going through bad times. Most times, I do not know what others are going through. They may be going through a mountain peak experience in life or having a rough time, but I have never seen any Christian not enjoy the simple reminder that “God is good…all the time.” When I hear the phrase, it takes my mind off life’s daily challenges and gives me something comforting to dwell on. So, I like to be a comfort to others as well.
I Thessalonians 5:11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
Try it. Go find someone and say, “God is good…all the time!”
4. Stay focused. This simple phrase “God is good…all the time” keeps my focus correct in life. As a driver going down a road in a heavy rain, his focus is not clear and he can easily run off the road. I see life like that, only Satan is the rain and he tries to get our focus off the Lord and what the Lord wants for our lives. So, we have to keep our focus clear and this phrase is like the wiper blades of the car. As wiper blades swish away the rain and get our focus back on the road; this phrase swishes away the doubts Satan sends and gets our focus back on the Lord. My focus should be on heavenly things not earthly, decaying things.
Matthew 6: 19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
In summary, remember God is in control, keep having faith, stay encouraged and stay focused. This simple phrase, “God is good…all the time” helps us in all areas of our life and helps us keep our eyes on the Lord. If we are remembering this simple phrase, “God is good all the time” we can keep serving the Lord and not quit.
I Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
As one can see, I believe this phrase can be a considerable help to anyone who has the Lord as their Saviour.
I have heard this phrase for many years and while in Africa, it meant more hearing those churches repeat it back and forth together, knowing how little they have! Then, I heard another spin on the phrase and have adopted it! A friend of a friend was on a mission team putting up a new church building in Haiti when the earthquake hit there some years back. They were on the mountain top and unaware of what happened below in the villages! (Tho Ind. Bapt, they had been convinced that God had truly shook this building as they dedicated it that day!). As they descended the mountain and viewed the destruction, all they could say was, “God is good–EVEN TODAY!”. Had they stuck to their original time schedule (That had been thwarted because of unusual building problems), they would have been in the markets themselves that day!
I can only imagine how awesome it must be to hear the phrase repeated in churches in Africa where people don’t have much and their only hope is in the Lord. When we were on deputation, the churches that gave more and did more where the ones where the people didn’t have much. Those were my most encouraging churches. What an encouraging story of God’s blessings on the church in Haiti and their building shaking. We’ve had members of our church in New Zealand go on a mission trip in Haiti. It really is a poverty stricken country. My Dad went through Haiti about 60 years ago when he was in the Navy and he has never forgotten the poverty in Haiti. I love how they changed the phrase to “God is good-EVEN TODAY!” We never know what we will face each day and this should be a constant reminder to us all of God’s Goodness all the time- even today!