God Is Not Keeping Good Things From You

“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.” - Psalm 84:11

My friend Nicole used to work as a nanny for a family with three kids, the youngest being baby Charlie. There was one particular day when Nicole was taking care of Charlie, and she put him down in his crib so she could go warm up his bottle. 

While the milk was heating up, Charlie started crying. And by crying, I mean screaming. Nicole tried everything to get him to settle down, but nothing worked. Charlie wanted that bottle, and he wanted it right now. Sound familiar?

When Nicole was telling me this story when she came home later that night, she said, “I wish I could have just explained to Charlie why he was having to wait for his bottle. If I had given it to him when he was crying, it wouldn’t have been nearly as good for him. In fact, it would have been cold and gross.”

I sometimes wonder if God says the same thing about us. Does He ever think, “I wish I could just explain to her why she can’t have what she wants right now. I really want the best for her. I just know this wouldn’t be good for her if I gave her what she wanted right now.” 

The author of Psalm 84 actually talks about this when he says, “No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (v. 11). 

I’ve had to learn to say that verse to myself whenever I’m tempted to feel disappointed or upset when something doesn't work out, or when I feel like I missed out on something good. This verse is a reminder that if the thing I wanted was good for me, God wouldn’t keep it from me. So if something (or someone) is being withheld from me, then clearly God has something better.

So whether you’re wanting to go to a certain college, date a certain guy, or land a certain job, God is going to give you His best if you’re seeking His will and walking with Him. But if you don’t get what you want and you feel like you missed out on something good, I hope you won’t make the same mistake I did and get stuck in a rut of disappointment and frustration with God. On the contrary, I hope that you remember your Heavenly Father withholds “no good thing" from His children. He wants His absolute best for you, and He promises that His best will be so much better than anything you could ever ask for or imagine on your own (Ephesians 3:20).