“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.  I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.”
– Psalm 9:1-2

Everyone has heard the saying, “God is good.”  But what does that really mean?  I have been thinking about that a lot lately.  And to me, “God is good,” is not enough.  God is faithful, merciful, caring, loving, understanding, forgiving, and perfect.

As I look back on this year, I can see His faithfulness in so many ways.  A lot has happened, but I have also never felt so much gratitude. A couple of years ago, I decided to write a song for school. We had a list of scriptures to choose from, and I chose Psalm 9.

After I read the scripture, my dad started playing his guitar, and I began writing. Within fifteen minutes, we had a song. It is simple, but true – a song of praise. The first verse says, “I give thanks to You, Lord, with my whole heart; I count all my blessings.”  But then I realized, “How can you count all your blessings?”  You can’t, because there are too many.

This year, my brother got his driver’s license and a pickup, but a month and a half later, he had a wreck. Afterward, we were not focused on the property damage or his truck, but we praised God, because my brother did not have a scratch on him.  God was merciful.

Then my aunt had a knee replacement. At first, she was in more pain than before.  But after a couple of months, she was able to enjoy time with her family without pain holding her back.  God was caring.

About a month after that, I lost my horse, who was more like my best friend.  It hurt, and I was angry with God.  But then I realized that He understands my pain. He watched His Own Son die painfully on the cross. After time and healing, He blessed me with the ability to love another horse, something I never thought I could do.  Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  He is always there for us to lean on.  He sees our tears and understands.

Those were the big things, but God has also been present in the simple things. On a farm, there’s equipment, rattlesnakes, heat, and daily tasks that can be dangerous.  Yet, God has protected us. Not one person or dog has been bitten by a rattlesnake this year.

Now here is the flip side.
What if my brother was seriously hurt and didn’t make it out?
Is God still merciful?

What if my aunt was in more constant pain than before?
Is God still caring?

What if I did not lose my horse?
Would I still see how valuable the time I have with those I love?

What if someone got snakebit or had a heatstroke?
Is God still loving?

No matter the outcome, God is faithful; and I have learned that this year more than anything. The outcome does not change how loving, caring, understanding, and faithful God still is.

– Written by Kerah (14 years old)

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