Good God

George Barna writes in his book Maximum Faith that only one out of every ten Christians is truly sold out to God. Only 10% of all Christians ever get to the point of total transformation and experience God’s best.

People are afraid to sell out to God. What I mean is total surrender, total submission, wholehearted obedience to His will, His plans and His purpose. We fear total submission to God because we don’t know what God will require. We fail to realize that God is good. He has dreams and plans for you and His way is better than anything that you could ever imagine.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

God is good by nature. He is the highest and greatest good, and He is the source of everything good. It’s His nature to be loving, gracious, merciful, and generous. Because God is good, He’s promised to meet all our needs. 

 

He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies… Ephesians 1:3

God has given us everything we need for life and godliness… 2 Peter 1:3

Every good thing we enjoy comes from Him. Nothing good has ever existed that doesn't come from God.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows James 1:17

God's goodness is seen in His creation. Seven times in Genesis God said what He made was good. “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” Genesis 1:31. How can anyone observe the beauty of God’s creation and not say it is good? His goodness is reflected in majestic mountains, vast blue oceans, green grass, purple flowers, golden sunrises, orange sunsets and amber waves of grain.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 “The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD” Psalm 33:5. 

Then there is man, the pinnacle of God’s creation. God gave us eyes to behold the beauty of nature, ears to hear its delightful sounds, nostrils to enjoy its pleasant aromas, taste buds to savor its infinite variety of edible delights, a sense of touch to feel or communicate love, and a mind to comprehend it all. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

He gives us the bright warmth of sunlight, the joy of family and friends, the satisfaction of hard work, the refreshment of a good night’s sleep, provision for our daily needs, and so many others things that enrich our lives.

God's goodness is bestowed on everyone, not just believers.

The Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45.

People today still challenge God’s goodness. How can a good God allow evil to exist in His world? How can He allow disease, pain, suffering, poverty, hunger, racism, crime, war, murder and natural disasters. They say, either He is not very good or He does not have the power to stop it.

Remember, God in His goodness created Adam with the ability to choose good or evil. He chose evil, and his sin affected all of creation. All of the pain and suffering in this world today are the direct result of Adam’s choice. These are the consequences of living in a world affected by sin.

We don't know why God in His goodness allows these things. Many times God uses crises to get our attention. He sees the big picture and we are myopic. We know that somehow it's going to work out for our good and His glory.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

God is good. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, your life is not your own. He asks you to surrender completely. He can be trusted with your life.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

 

You trust God with your past for salvation, you trust Him with your future for eternal life, so why not trust Him with the present? He wants to maximize your potential and conform you into the image of Christ. He wants to give you the best He has to offer.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1,2