God is good!

    In 2017, while preparing for an event at work, 23 year old Evan, a cross fit coach, felt sick and within seconds collapsed. His co-worker tried to perform CPR and his family were alerted. His family expected it to be a minor problem but when doctors examined him they found out that he had gone into sudden cardiac arrest. While trying to stabilise his heart, he coded three times. His heart was only functioning at ten percent. Doctors did not have the confidence that they could save his life. 
    The doctor encouraged the family to pray. They called as many people as they could and soon the waiting room was filled with people. Evan survived through the night but unfortunately his organs were shutting down. One of his sisters went to the bathroom and as she cried out to God she told Him that if He needed to take Evan, He was still good! The doctor decided that he should be transferred to another hospital to increase his chances of survival. Evan started showing signs of improvement. His organs started working again. The family sent out a report on Facebook about his progress and encouraged people to continue praying. By that night, his organs were better. He had gone from a zero percent chance of survival to organs that were functioning well. On top of that, his heart went from functioning at ten percent to thirty percent. 
    After three days Evan showed signs of brain activity and a few days later the doctor reported that his heart was almost completely back to normal as if nothing had happened. Doctors could not understand it. Two weeks later, Evan returned home, just in time for Christmas. That was the best Christmas they ever had.
    Today Evan is working and in college and shows no sign of heart issues. His faith and confidence in God have increased. He is able to see that God indeed does miracles, that He has plan for his life and that He controls a lot more than Evan thinks He does.
    I am always moved by these testimonies of healing and miracles. I love the reminder that prayer is indeed a powerful tool and that God does desire the best for us. But, what caught my attention among other things is what Evan’s sister told God - that if He needed to take Evan, He (God) was still good. I believe it is important to allow God to have His way in our lives. Yes, we want things, we want Him to answer many times in a particular way. Jesus too prayed that God would spare Him having to go the cross yet, He added, “Not My will but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42). Even Jesus had desires in His heart but allowed His Heavenly Father to have the final say. Jesus set the perfect example for us to follow!
    That statement also tells us something important - no matter the final outcome, God is still good! He’s not only good when we get our way, He is still good when we don’t. The reality is we were created to serve God, not ourselves. That does not mean that we can’t or should not have our own desires but we should be willing to give up our desires, our will, in exchange for His perfect plan and will for our lives. 
    God. Is. Good! There is a song sung by Travis Greene and Steffany Gretzinger that says: “I am good, you are loved.” Simply put, because God is good, we are loved, we are secure, He has our backs. Our goodness can never carry us as far as His goodness carries us. God is good and He is still God all by Himself! So today, no matter what you are facing, no matter how trying, no matter how impossible it seems, remember: God. Is. Good!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is good and because He is good, He loves us and has a perfect plan for our lives. He will never fail us and will always be there for us no matter what!    

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