Is He Still Good If It Doesn't Work Out The Way I Wanted?

Welcome to Purpose of Heart, the podcast, where real stories meet God's promises. I'm Priscilla Allman, and every week we dive into powerful conversations about purpose and the pressure through caregiving, illness, grief, addiction, and more. If you've ever asked God, where are you in this? You're in the right place. Be sure to follow the show and let's find purpose together. Hello again, and welcome back to Purpose of Heart, the podcast. I'm your host, Priscilla Allman, and today we're going to continue from where we stopped off last time. In the last episode, we asked the question: I know God can do it, but will he do it for me? Today we're gonna go a step deeper. What happens when it doesn't unfold the way you prayed? What happens when the door stays closed? When the relationship doesn't recover, when the diagnosis doesn't change, when the opportunity goes to someone else? Is he still good if the outcome isn't what you wanted? This is where faith moves from inspiration into maturity, where trust stops being emotional and becomes angered. When expectation meets disappointment, disappointment can quietly challenge what we believe about God. We don't always say it out loud, but we feel it. If you're good, why haven't you fixed this yet? If you're faithful, why didn't you answer the way I had asked? Proverbs 13, 12 says, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Hope deferred can make the heart heavy. And sometimes we confuse deferred with denied, or denied with abandon. But the goodness of God is not proven by getting what we want. It's revealed in who He remains even when we don't. God's goodness is not outcome dependent. One of the most powerful declarations in Scripture comes from three men facing a fiery furnace. In Daniel 3, 17 to 18, Shadrach, Meshach, and Nebednego say, Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand, O King. But if not, let it be known to you, O King, that we do not serve your gods. Did you catch that? Our God is able, but if not, they believed he could, they believed he would, but even if he didn't, they would still trust him, and they still would not bow to the foreign idols. That is anchored faith. Faith that says, even if the outcome doesn't change, my conviction doesn't change, because his goodness is not based on my preference. We see this most clearly in Jesus himself. In Matthew 26, 39, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prays, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. Even Jesus expressed desire. Even he asked for a different path. But he surrendered to the Father's will, knowing that it was the only way and knowing that it was best. And what looked like loss became resurrection. Because sometimes what feels like a no in the moment is positioning for a greater redemptive plan. God sees beyond the chapter that we're in. We often define good as comfortable. God defines good as purposeful. Romans 8 28 says, and we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Notice it doesn't say that all things feel good. It says they work together for good. Good according to his purpose, good that shapes character, good that refines trust, good that prepares you for what's ahead. Sometimes the very thing you prayed would stay is the very thing that would have limited you. And sometimes the thing that left created room for something greater. Here's the uncomfortable truth. We often struggle not because God isn't good, but because we're not in control. Trust requires surrender. Isaiah fifty five, eight and nine reminds us, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways, says the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways. His perspective is eternal. Ours is immediate. We see today's pain. He sees tomorrow's purpose. Increasing trust means releasing the illusion that we know best. It means saying, Lord, I don't understand this, but I choose to trust you in it. The Apostle Paul pleaded with God to remove what he called a thorn in the flesh. In 2 Corinthians 12, eight to nine, he says, Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me, and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. God did not remove the thorn, he gave grace instead. And Paul concludes, Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Sometimes the miracle is removal. Sometimes the miracle is sustaining grace. Both are evidence of his goodness. So how do we increase trust when outcomes don't align with our desires? We can remember his track record. Lamentations three twenty two to twenty three. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not, they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Reflect on the times he's carried you before. Past faithfulness fuels present trust. Anchor in his character, not in your circumstances. God is faithful, Deuteronomy seven nine. He is unchanging Malachi three six, and he is good. Circumstances shift. His nature does not. Proverbs three five and six, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path. Trust is not a one-time decision. It's a daily posture. So my friend, if things didn't turn out the way you hoped, if the prayer wasn't answered in the way you imagined, if the door closed and you're still standing in confusion, hear this. God's goodness isn't fragile. It does not collapse under disappointment. It is steady, consistent. It is eternal. He is good when the healing comes. He's still good when the healing delays. He's still good when the door opens, and he's still good when the door shuts. And sometimes the greatest evidence of maturity is not shouting when you receive, but trusting when you don't. Your faith does not rest in outcomes. It rests in a father who sees beyond them. And the more you surrender, the deeper your trust grows. Not because everything works out your way, but because you are convinced that whatever he allows, he will use. And that is where unshakable peace begins. So until next time, friends, I'll see you soon. Thanks for listening to Purpose of Heart the Podcast at www.purpose of heartpodcast.com. Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. There's so much more God is doing, and I don't want you to miss a thing. Thank you in advance for the reviews and shares. They help this message reach more hearts. I can't wait to walk with you again in next week's episode. See you there.