Your Encouraging 5 Minute Podcast
A weekly dose of encouragement to start your week off right! Join your favorite WPER hosts every week for uplifting thoughts to keep your eyes focused on Christ and His promises.
Your Encouraging 5 Minute Podcast
God Is Still Good When Life Isn't
Have you ever found yourself wondering where God is when life feels unbearably difficult?
We have to acknowle the reality that sometimes life hurts more than we think we can bear.
The truth is that God's goodness isn't dependent on our circumstances.
When relationships end, doors close, or healing doesn't come as expected, it's natural to question whether God cares.
This isn't about denying your pain or pretending everything is fine—it's about recognizing that God specifically draws near to the brokenhearted.
The most beautiful moments of divine presence often come not through dramatic breakthroughs but through quiet comforts: a timely text from a friend, an unexpected moment of peace, or a familiar Scripture that suddenly speaks directly to your situation.
These are the fingerprints of a faithful God who continues working even when we can't immediately see results.
As Jesus honestly promised, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world."
Your struggles don't scare God away—they actually draw Him closer.
Whatever you're facing today, remember that your pain is not wasted, your story isn't finished, and God's goodness hasn't changed, even when life isn't good at all.
Hey, we're glad you found your Encouraging 5-Minute Podcast over the next five minutes here to encourage you, to inspire you to lift your day. If you need more encouragement at the end of this podcast, you can always listen to Virginia's Home for Encouragement, wper, or, if you're out of that area, you can download the WPER app.
Speaker 2:So I don't know where you're listening from today. Maybe you're in your car taking a walk, sitting in the kitchen trying to have a little quiet time. But we want to talk with you and your heart for just a few minutes, because life doesn't always turn out the way we expect. Sometimes it's unfair and sometimes it hurts more than we think we can bear. There are days we obviously are going to carry invisible weight that no one is ever going to see, and in the middle of all of that it's kind of easy to think, like where is God? If he's so good, then why does my life feel so hard, so broken?
Speaker 1:And it may sound overly simple, but it's really important to remember God is still good, even when life is not.
Speaker 2:And we know that truth might be hard to hold onto right in this moment. Maybe you're walking through loss, or dealing with disappointment or heartache, confusion. Maybe you're just trying to keep it all together while everything inside feels like it's falling apart. And if that's you, we want to remind you that your struggle does not scare God. Your questions don't push him away. Struggle does not scare God. Your questions don't push him away. Actually, the Bible says God draws near to the brokenhearted. So that means when you are hurting, you're not abandoned. You're seen, you're known, you're loved. And in your anger or confusion, you need to know that it's okay to be honest with God about all of that, because he's not asking you to pretend like you're fine, especially when you're not. He is inviting you to come as you are, with your doubts, your pain, your fears, all of it, because that is the true beauty of grace, that's the comfort of a God who walks with us not just in victory, but in the valley too.
Speaker 1:There's a verse in Psalm 34 that says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. That's a promise that God has made to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So when your heart feels shattered, God moves in close. When your spirit feels crushed, he steps in to rescue.
Speaker 1:Well, let's be real. It doesn't always feel that way. No, when prayers go unanswered, when healing doesn't come, when the relationship still ends or the door still closes, it can feel like God doesn't come. When the relationship still ends or the door still closes, it can feel like God doesn't care anymore.
Speaker 2:Right, exactly. But our feelings aren't always facts. And the fact is, god's goodness is not based on your current situation. God isn't just good when things are going good in your life. Right, goodness is his nature, and his nature doesn't change with our circumstances. God was good before the storm and he's still good even in the middle of it.
Speaker 1:And that doesn't mean the pain isn't real, you know. It just means it's not the end of the story. His goodness isn't about everything going right. It's about his presence, holding you together when everything is seemingly going wrong.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. And sometimes I think we only look for God in the breakthroughs, like in those really big moments. Right, we're waiting on him to show up, but he doesn't show up always in the big moments. Sometimes he shows up in quiet ways, maybe it's a phone call from a friend or a text. A friend sends you a verse, maybe it hits a little different, or a moment that you have peace when it doesn't make sense. Those are the fingerprints of a faithful God who never stops working, even when we can't immediately see it.
Speaker 1:Jesus never promised us trouble-free lives. In fact, in John 16, 33, he said in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I've overcome the world. That's real talk right there, not sugarcoating it. He's saying trouble will come, but so will triumph. He's reminding us that even when life feels out of control, he is still in control.
Speaker 2:Maybe it feels like God is silent, but silence doesn't mean absence. You know it's like. Think about being in school, right Teacher hands out a test. Typically the teacher stays quiet during the test and sometimes the goodness of God is best seen in the way that he carries us through a really hard time.
Speaker 1:So let this be your reminder today You're not forgotten, your pain is not wasted.
Speaker 2:No, God is still writing your story. He doesn't stop working just because things go sideways. His plans for you are still good.
Speaker 1:Even if they look different than what you had imagined, they would Hold on to him. Keep showing up, keep praying even when it feels hard, keep trusting even when it feels uncertain.
Speaker 2:Yeah, your feelings are valid, but your feelings aren't the whole truth.
Speaker 1:The truth is, god is faithful, he is kind, he is close, he is good still.
Speaker 2:Yeah, even when life isn't.
Speaker 1:Hey, if you've been encouraged over the last five minutes, send this to someone you might think needs encouragement Absolutely. If you need more encouragement, you can always listen to WPER, Virginia's home for encouragement. If you're outside of that area, download the app. Just search WPER.
