No Good Thing Does He Withhold

There are many proverbs and sayings about the consequences of our actions. They range from “What goes around comes around,” to “You reap what you sow,” to “Sometimes bad things happen to good people.” The interesting thing is, the saying we agree with often depends entirely on what we are going through in life. For example, after receiving a promotion at work, or an award for a job well done, it would be typical to respond with the mindset that you have earned this and deserve the recognition. On the other hand, finding out that your mom has cancer, or that you have lost your job often elicits the opposite response. You may question, “What did I do to deserve this? Why is this happening to me?”

The question regarding why God lets bad things, even terrible, earth-shattering things happen to people who are faithful to Him has challenged me for years. In Psalm 84:11 it states, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” I came across this verse several months ago, to which I responded with, “WHAT? I don’t understand. If God does not withhold anything good from those who are faithful to Him, then why isn’t my life going better? Why am I facing so much stress? Why do I feel so lonely? Why haven’t I received the things that I feel I have earned? It sure seems like He is holding out on me!”

Accepting that the Bible is wholly true (regardless of whether or not I understand it), I decided to further examine this verse. Upon examination, I found two issues with my understanding: 1.) My definition of “good,” and 2.) My degree of “blamelessness,” or “faithfulness.”

According to my previous understanding of this verse, a “good thing” was a blessing. To me, I viewed it as seeing the fruition of my hard work. If I was faithful to God and worked really hard, I would earn the things I desired. While this can be true sometimes, this is NOT what the verse means. Rather, a good thing in this context denotes something that is good FOR us. As the Lord is the one giving the good, it is HIS definition of “good,” not ours, that is the gift being given. In other words, what I may see as good or deserved is not necessarily the same as what God sees as beneficial to me.

Secondly, I struggled with the concept of blamelessness. Other translations also refer to this as “faithfulness” or “being upright.” For the most part, I thought I had done a pretty good job of living according to God’s Word. I had genuinely tried to live a life that was pleasing to God, and tried to follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit. However, the words “blameless,” “faithful,” or “upright” have a much higher degree of sincerity than I had picked up on in my initial reading. To be faithful isn’t just to try and live a life that honors God. It is to constantly be seeking His direction, and continuously following His will.

Reading this verse again with a new understanding of these definitions, my perception shifted dramatically. Again, it states, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” This verse doesn’t indicate a perfect life. It doesn’t promise fulfillment of personal desires, or protection from pain. It doesn’t mean God is always going to bless us for doing what we believe is right. However, there is a deeper promise interwoven throughout this verse. The promise is that when we choose to allow God to guide our lives and follow His will, He will give us what He believes is in our best interest. Unfortunately, actually understanding God’s definition of what is good for us is often far beyond human comprehension. Nevertheless, I will gladly put my faith and efforts into serving a God who knows more than I ever could possibly know about myself. I will eagerly choose to seek God’s will rather than my own, because His ways are better. While I may not always understand it, I will gratefully accept the promise that God will NOT withhold anything that He defines as good from me.

If you are struggling to find the goodness in your life, I encourage you to examine this verse. Maybe you need to reevaluate your intentions. Are your actions self-seeking, or God-focused? Or perhaps you need to shift your understanding of a “good thing.” Do you see good things as satisfaction of the pleasures you crave, or the fulfillment of your best interest? Wherever you’re at, take heart in the fact that God cares about you deeply. Whether you realize it or not, He wholeheartedly wants what is best for you. Furthermore, He will bless you and “withhold no good thing” when you earnestly follow His will. 

Until next time,

Tamara