Learning to Trust God for Who He Is, Not What Happens
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)
For a long time, I believed that everything that happened in life, good or bad, came from God. I was taught that nothing happens outside His will, so if something painful happened, it must have been “God’s will.”
On the surface, that explanation sounded comforting. It gave people language to cope.
But deep inside, it created fear and confusion. If God was responsible for both good and bad, then how could I truly trust Him?
When God’s Goodness Became Unclear
I grew up hearing phrases like, “God has done His will,” even when tragedy struck in the most devastating ways. I lost two brothers, both under the age of 20, and I was told God had “taken them.”
That belief did something to my heart. It made me think that God can end my life at any time. I felt like my choices didn’t really matter and I began to think that prayers might not change anything. I began to think that speaking life into situations could be pointless.
I didn’t feel bold in prayer. I wasn’t confident that God would answer. I saw Him as sovereign, yes, but distant and unpredictable. Someone who ultimately would just do what He wanted, regardless of what I asked or hoped for. That was my understanding of God’s sovereignty at the time.
Relearning Who God Really Is: Understanding His Sovereignty Correctly
Healing began when I encountered truth, not just verses, but revelation. Jesus said something that completely changed how I saw God:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
I had read this verse many times before but without revelation. For the first time, I realised that stealing, killing, and destroying are not God’s work, they are the work of the enemy and then I began to understand that only good comes from God:
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17)
This truth challenged everything I had assumed. I learned that God’s sovereignty does not mean He causes or controls every event. It means:
- He knows the end from the beginning
- He remains supreme, faithful, and redemptive
- He is never caught off guard
When God created the world, He gave humanity dominion and authority
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26).
Adam surrendered that authority to the enemy through disobedience, which is why Scripture refers to Satan as “the ruler of this world.”
God did not override His word.
“You have exalted Your word above all Your name.” (Psalm 138:2)
Because God honours His word, redemption had to come legally, through Jesus coming as a man to reclaim what Adam lost. Now, that authority is restored in Christ, and only those who believe in Him can walk in it (you can refer back to What It Really Means to Be Born Again and Knowing Who You Are in Christ). This shifted everything for me.
God Is Good, Even When Life Is Not
I began to see that sickness, natural disasters, wars, violence, untimely deaths and other bad things are not God’s plan.
God does not author chaos. He grieves with us when we hurt.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22–23)
“ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
These verses stopped being poetic, they became personal.
All Things Work Together for Good”, What It Really Means
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28)
This verse does not mean God gives us both good and bad. It means:
- God enters the mess
- God redeems what the enemy meant for harm
- God turns even our poor decisions into growth and purpose
When we invite Him into our brokenness, when we surrender fully, we can truly say “He is in control” because we have given Him control.
That’s when His goodness becomes visible:
- Strength in weakness
- Peace in chaos
- Grace in grief
- Hope in darkness
Seeing God’s Goodness in Every Season
David understood this deeply:
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” (Psalm 23)
I now recite this psalm every night before I sleep as I lie in bed. It has become my lullaby. Goodness doesn’t disappear in the valley. It follows us there.
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13)
Even in hard seasons, I’ve seen and experienced:
- God’s presence
- God’s comfort
- God’s strength
- God’s faithfulness
- God’s provision
- God’s love
Not because life was easy, but because God was with me.
What This Changed in Me
I became bolder in prayer. I stopped fearing God’s intentions. I trusted His heart, not just His power. I learned that:
- Gratitude is a weapon against discouragement
- Contentment is learned through trust, not comfort
- God’s goodness is proven by His character, not circumstances
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation..” (Habakkuk 3:17–18)
A Prayer from My Heart
Father, Thank You that You are always good.
Thank You for healing the places where I have misunderstood Your heart.
Continue to teach me to trust You even when life feels broken.
Teach me to recognise Your goodness in every season.
I declare that You are my Shepherd, and I lack nothing.
Your goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen. ❤️
If you’ve ever struggled to trust God because of pain, loss, or unanswered questions, you are not alone. And if you’re learning to separate God’s character from the chaos of this world, we would love to walk with you. If you want to grow in grace, identity in Christ, and learn how to stand in God’s authority with peace and confidence, reach out. You don’t have to figure this out alone.