Understanding God (a little) Better

I am not saying that I have God figured out. Far from it. In fact - very, very far from it. However, the Bible does give us indications as to how he works. Interestingly, not all of the scriptures view God as loving and tolerant of our every action. Quite honestly, if Ps. 13:1; 22:1 and 44:24 were all that I knew of God, I would have to seriously doubt his intentions. I would feel that I run the risk of abandonment when things fail. Would I feel like I am lost when I sin? But when I really think about it, how many times have I seriously questioned the Lord in this way, as if the creation knows better than the creator. The fact remains that we constantly question and wonder what the problem is when "bad" things happen. If we have failure, many of us run to see what we have done wrong.
The real problem is that we tend to forget that Jesus made us a promise. He promised us that in this world, we WOULD have troubles. We aren't promised anything more than trials and tribulations in this life. In many ways, it us almost more realistic to look for the good times as points when we were truly blessed rather than as the accepted norm of the redeemed.
I am not suggesting that this life is misery and worth dumping at the first chance. What I am saying is quite the contrary. God is constant, even when we do not see him. He is always there. He promises that he will never leave us nor forsake us. While it is easy to feel abandoned when bad things happen, we must keep the big picture in mind. God is good all of the time, even when I wonder if that is true.
For my money, I prefer to remember God through Psalm 23:1, as my shepherd. Psalm 46:10 assures me that he is God, so I can relax in him when things go "bad". Psalm 10:17 promises that God does indeed hear the cry of the afflicted. Jeremiah 29:11-13 tells me that God does indeed have a plan for my life. He doesn't seek to harm me but to test me so that I may become strong. Isaiah 41:10 tells me not to fear, God is in charge. Finally, can I forget the promise of John 3:16? God has sent the ultimate fix and ultimate expression of his love for me, when he sent his own son, Jesus, to make the way for me to live with him eternally. In turn, I can then express to others that they too need the saving touch that can only come from a personal and transformative relationship with Christ. This, then, is the ultimate purpose that God has for our lives - to live with and for him, to bring others into that same loving community and relationship with him!!