God is Still Good
God is Still Good
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
She’s not a best selling author or a missionary that’s traveled thousands of miles to an unreached people group, she’s a faithful servant of God who wakes up each morning, heads to her prayer closet and spends time in the Lord’s presence. She lifts up people by name in prayer and thanks God for the blessings He has provided. Ms. Earnestine Reese, who is in her 70s, taught me a lesson in faithfully loving the Lord in the ordinary moments and the moments when life is falling apart.
Earnestine was in her home in Alabama last March when a deadly EF4 tornado swept through her town. Her house was blown away, and she survived the storm by huddling in her bathroom. When the winds died down and the storm passed, Earnestine was alive and all that remained of her home was her prayer closet. Everything within sight was gone except the closet where she daily surrendered to God. Even the names of people she prayed for were left on the walls of the closet.
Earnestine was filmed making a phone call right after the storm in which she was praising God for protecting her. She lost seven family members in the storm, yet remained grounded in what she knew was true – God is still good in the midst of tragedy.
Lord, that you that You see us when we’re rejoicing and when we are hurting. Help us to surrender to You and praise You for Your goodness – both when life seems on track and when life is falling apart.
When I met Earnestine, it was nine months after the storm and the joy of the Lord shone from her. She recounted the day that took away seven family members from her, but she never complained. In almost every sentence, she would exclaim that God is so good. Earnestine cultivated her relationship with Jesus each day in her prayer closet and when the storm came, she clung to God’s truth.
How often do we doubt the goodness of God when something outside of our plans happens? Or how often are we too busy to daily pursue the Lord through prayer and Scripture, subconsciously thinking we don’t have time for the One who hold us in His hands? Earnestine reminded me that through the good and through the bad, God still reigns on the throne.
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