Why God Is Good Even When Life Hurts: Biblical Hope

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
(Psalm 34:8, ESV)

The fundamental question of the human heart is not “Does God exist?” but “Is God good?”

This question echoes through every hardship, every disappointment, every unanswered prayer:

• If God is good, why did He allow this suffering?
• If God is good, why did He say no to my desperate plea?
• If God is good, why does evil seem to win?

The answer to this question shapes everything—how we pray, how we trust, how we endure, how we live.

And the enemy knows it.

The very first temptation in human history was not an invitation to commit a scandalous sin. It was a subtle attack on the goodness of God.

“Did God actually say…?” (Genesis 3:1, ESV)

Behind the serpent’s question was a darker insinuation: “God is holding out on you. He’s not as good as He claims.”

We’ve been fighting that lie ever since.

But Scripture declares, again and again, with resounding clarity:

“The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.”
(Psalm 145:9, ESV)

Randy Alcorn writes:

“God’s goodness is the drive behind all the blessings He daily lavishes upon us.”
— Randy Alcorn, If God Is Good

God is not just powerful. He is good. And because He is good, we can trust Him—even when we don’t understand.

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1. The Battle to Believe God Is Good: The Serpent’s Ancient Lie (Genesis 3)

Let’s return to the Garden.

God had given Adam and Eve everything:

• A perfect world.
• Abundant provision.
• Meaningful work.
• Intimate relationship with Him.
• Complete freedom—with only one boundary: don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Then the serpent slithered in with a question:

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
(Genesis 3:1, ESV)

Notice the distortion. God had said, “You may surely eat of every tree… but…” (Genesis 2:16–17). The focus was on abundance and freedom.

The serpent twisted it into a picture of restriction and deprivation.

And then came the accusation:

“You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
(Genesis 3:4–5, ESV)

Translation: “God is holding out on you. He doesn’t want you to be your best. He’s threatened by you. He’s not really good.”

Eve looked at the tree and saw it differently:

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,
she took of its fruit and ate.”
(Genesis 3:6, ESV)

She believed the lie.

And humanity has been doubting God’s goodness ever since.

The Lie We Still Believe

Every time we:

• Grasp for control instead of trusting God.
• Choose sin because we think God’s way is too restrictive.
• Resent God’s “no” instead of believing He knows best.
• Question His love when He doesn’t give us what we want.

…we are believing the same ancient lie: “God is not really good.”

But the truth stands:

“The LORD is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.”
(Nahum 1:7, ESV)

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2. Taste and See: Experiencing God’s Goodness (Psalm 34:8)

David, writing from personal experience, issues an invitation:

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
(Psalm 34:8, ESV)

Notice the verbs: taste and see.

This is not abstract theology. This is experiential knowledge.

Taste

To taste something is to personally experience it.

You can’t convince someone chocolate is sweet by describing it. They have to taste it.

In the same way, God invites us to taste His goodness—to experience it for ourselves.

How?

• In His Word: Meditate on Scripture and encounter the God who speaks truth, comfort, and hope.
• In His Provision: Look back on how He’s provided, guided, and sustained you.
• In His Presence: Spend time with Him in prayer and worship, and experience His peace.
• In His People: Receive His love through the kindness, encouragement, and service of fellow believers.

See

To see is to observe and understand.

As you taste God’s goodness over time, you begin to see it more clearly:

• You see His faithfulness in how He’s carried you through trials.
• You see His wisdom in doors He closed that would have led to harm.
• You see His love in answered prayers—and in prayers He answered differently than you asked.

Charles Spurgeon said:

“It is not ‘hear and see,’ but ‘taste and see.’
You must have personal, inward, experimental knowledge of the goodness of God.”
— Charles Spurgeon

God’s goodness is not a doctrine to debate. It’s a reality to experience.

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3. No Good Thing Withheld: Understanding Psalm 84:11

One of the most misunderstood—and most encouraging—promises in Scripture is this:

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.“
(Psalm 84:11, ESV)

What This Verse Does NOT Mean

It does not mean:

• If you’re obedient enough, God will give you everything you want.
• If something was withheld, it must mean you weren’t walking uprightly.
• God is a cosmic vending machine: insert righteousness, receive blessings.

What This Verse DOES Mean

It means: God, in His perfect wisdom, withholds nothing that is truly good for you.

Notice the phrase: “No good thing.”

God defines what is good—not us.

Sometimes what we think is good would actually harm us:

• A relationship we desperately wanted might have led us away from God.
• A job we prayed for might have destroyed our family.
• A healing we begged for might have short-circuited a deeper work God was doing in our soul.

God, in His goodness, sometimes says “no” or “not yet”—not because He is withholding good, but because He knows what is truly good.

Randy Alcorn writes:

“Sometimes God’s goodness is revealed not in giving us what we want,
but in protecting us from what would harm us.”
— Randy Alcorn, If God Is Good

God’s “no” is never arbitrary. It is always purposeful, protective, and loving.

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4. Every Good Gift from Above: James 1:16–17

James warns against a dangerous mistake:

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.“
(James 1:16–17, ESV)

a) Every Good Gift Is from God

Not some. Not most. Every.

• Every breath you take.
• Every meal you enjoy.
• Every relationship that brings you joy.
• Every moment of beauty, laughter, or peace.

These are gifts from God.

“What do you have that you did not receive?”
(1 Corinthians 4:7, ESV)

Everything good in your life is a testimony to God’s goodness.

b) God Does Not Change

“With whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

God’s goodness is not:

• Moody: He doesn’t have good days and bad days.
• Conditional: It doesn’t depend on your performance.
• Fickle: He doesn’t change His mind about who He is.

“For I the LORD do not change.”
(Malachi 3:6, ESV)

God’s character is constant. His goodness is unchanging. What He was yesterday, He is today and will be forever.

c) God Gives Only Good

James also clarifies:

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’
for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.“
(James 1:13, ESV)

God does not:

• Tempt you to sin.
• Cause evil.
• Delight in your suffering.

Every evil, every pain, every sin in this world is a result of the Fall—not God’s character.

God is wholly good. There is no darkness in Him. No malice. No cruelty.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.“
(1 John 1:5, ESV)

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5. Trusting the Goodness You Can’t Yet See: Faith Amid Unanswered Prayers

Here’s where faith gets tested.

You prayed for healing—it didn’t come.
You begged for provision—the door stayed closed.
You cried out for rescue—the suffering continued.

Does that mean God is not good?

No. It means we see only part of the picture.

We See Through a Glass Dimly

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,
even as I have been fully known.”
(1 Corinthians 13:12, ESV)

We don’t have the full story. We don’t see what God sees. We don’t know what He knows.

And sometimes, we won’t understand until heaven.

Joseph’s Story: From Pit to Palace

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. He was falsely accused and imprisoned. He spent years suffering unjustly.

But later, he said to his brothers:

“As for you, you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good,
to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
(Genesis 50:20, ESV)

God took the evil his brothers intended and wove it into His good plan.

Joseph couldn’t see it in the pit. He couldn’t see it in prison. But God was good the entire time.

Job’s Story: Trusting When Nothing Makes Sense

Job lost everything—his children, his wealth, his health.

He didn’t know why. He had no explanation. He wrestled with God, questioned Him, and poured out his anguish.

But in the end, Job said:

“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted…
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you.“
(Job 42:2, 5, ESV)

Job didn’t get all his questions answered. But he got something better: a deeper vision of God.

And when he saw God, he trusted His goodness—even without understanding.

Our Story: Trusting God’s Goodness Today

You may be in your own pit right now. You may be asking, “Where is God’s goodness in this?”

The answer is: He is good, even here.

• He has not abandoned you.
• He is working in ways you cannot yet see.
• He will one day make all things right.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to his purpose.”
(Romans 8:28, ESV)

Not all things are good. But God works all things—even the painful, tragic, unjust things—for good.

Tim Keller writes:

“If we again ask the question: ‘Why does God allow evil and suffering to continue?’
and we look at the cross of Jesus, we still do not know what the answer is.
However, we now know what the answer isn’t.
It can’t be that he doesn’t love us.
It can’t be that he is indifferent or detached from our condition.”
— Timothy Keller, The Reason for God

The cross is proof: God is good.

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Living in Light of God’s Goodness

1. Thank Him Daily

Cultivate a habit of gratitude. Every day, thank God for His good gifts:

• Your breath.
• Your food.
• Your family.
• Your salvation.

“Give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV)

2. Trust Him in the “No”

When God says no, choose to believe: He knows something I don’t. He is good. He is protecting me.

3. Look for His Goodness Everywhere

Train your eyes to see God’s goodness:

• In creation.
• In people.
• In small mercies.
• In answered prayers.

4. Preach the Gospel to Yourself

When you doubt God’s goodness, remind yourself:

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,
how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?“
(Romans 8:32, ESV)

If God gave His Son for you, He is for you. He is good.

5. Wait with Hope

One day, you will see fully. One day, every question will be answered. One day, God’s goodness will be undeniable.

“No eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him.“
(1 Corinthians 2:9, ESV)

Until then, trust.

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Recommended Books on God’s Goodness

1. Randy Alcorn – If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil
   A comprehensive, deeply biblical exploration of God’s goodness in the face of evil and suffering.
2. Timothy Keller – Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering
   Wise, pastoral counsel on trusting God’s goodness when life is hard.
3. Jerry Bridges – Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts
   A compassionate guide to trusting God’s goodness, sovereignty, and love in trials.
4. Joni Eareckson Tada – A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God’s Sovereignty
   Personal, honest reflections on God’s goodness from a quadriplegic believer.
5. J.I. Packer – Knowing God
   Classic, rich theology on God’s character, including His goodness—warm and pastoral.

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A Hymn of God’s Goodness

Let these words lift your heart in worship:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

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Beloved, the God you serve is good—perfectly, unchangingly, overwhelmingly good. Even when you don’t understand, even when it hurts, even when the answer is “no”—He is good. Taste and see. Trust and rest. His goodness will never fail.