This quote is one of my favorite quotes, and it comes from Daniel 3. It comes from God’s Word, from a source of absolute truth that God sent to us. I love this quote for so many reasons. God constantly brings it back to my mind to remind me that when my plans get messed up, the times I fail a test, or when I feel alone, God is still good.
Another writer I love and admire once said that even though this quote is good, it is missing something. God is still JUST as good. When I throw that little, four-letter word into that, it reminds me of so much more. When our lives are a trainwreck, Jesus is still just as good as when there is smooth sailing. When our suffering blots out our hope from view, we are still loved by Jesus. He still views us a priceless creation. I remind myself that Jesus is still good through my troubles, but I forget sometimes that Jesus is still JUST as good.
Unlike us, Jesus doesn’t change, attempting to conform to the world around Him. Jesus instead conforms to Himself; to love, and what an amazing to be surrounded by, much less to be the essence of.
Because we live in such a success-driven and result-oriented society, it is difficult for us to understand how the love that Christ is wins over any effort we can make. It can be hard for us to believe that He is just as good in our own failures as He is in our successes. The same God that created my grandparents is the same God that created me and works in my life. The same God whose power is shown in miracles is the same God whose voice softly calls us back to Him.
It is not easy to remember that God’s love and faithfulness are not dependent on our own actions. It is not easy, but it is true. It is more true than we can know because He is more true that we can understand.
When your basketball team loses, Jesus is still just as good.
When you don’t get into your dream school, Jesus is still just as good.
When you fail that chemistry exam, Jesus is still just as good.
When you lose a loved one, Jesus is still just as good.
When the world around you seems to hate you, Jesus is still just as good.
Jesus Christ is just as good today and will remain just as good forever and ever.
Humans face a wide range of emotion. We cry, we feel sad, we feel anger. We have the right to feel these emotions and that is okay because God created us to feel. But what we do not have the right to do is to change God’s nature because of the status of our circumstances. We have the right, and God even encourages us, to dive into His Word and to learn more about His ways and to come closer to Him. We don’t have the right to wish that God was just as good whenever everything seemed to be going perfectly in our lives.
During our trials, He is not only good, but He is just as good. He is just as gracious. He is just as forgiving. He is just as merciful. He is just as just. He is just as loving. He is just as holy. He is just as perfect and you cannot change that. It is a fact and Jesus Christ will remain all that He is and we can only accept what comes in our lives and celebrate Him, whether what comes is a resounding “Yes!” or a disheartening “No…”, whether it is the doctor’s voice saying “The test results came back clear” or “I’m sorry but it is indeed cancer”, or even if it is “I’m sorry but you did not pass the entrance exam.”
In all of our life, Christ is our rock. He is good. He is steady. He is unwavering. He does not sway with the currents of the world when we do. When we feel change, Christ is consistent. Whether our day is a 10 or when it is a 2, He is the same, if we feel Him or not.
Jesus Christ is just as good now and he always will be. That’s kind of His entire thing.
