God is Good - Dan Saunders

God is good! How often have we heard that one? I’m not sure the first time I ever heard that saying. The first time I really recall hearing it was at camp when I was 16. Which also was the first time I met Pastor Jay and from then on I knew he was trouble. The reason I specifically remember that phrase (God is Good) was because everyone at camp would respond in unionison “All the time.” Then the speaker would say “All the time” and we would all respond “God is good!” Man I loved camp!
I’m not sure if it was every year but they always reminded us that God is good…. He is sooo Good!
But what does that mean? If you really think about it… It’s terrifying. God is good and well let's be honest.. We aren’t. If we were, we wouldn't need God. Look at it this way. You have a hardened criminal and now it’s his day in court. What kind of judge does he want to see? A good judge or a corrupt one? He knows if he has a good judge he will get what he deserves. Right? Because that is what a good judge does. He makes sure that justice is served. He won’t be bought off. He won't be bribed or coerced into something that goes against the Law.
My mother named me Daniel and it means “God is my judge.” Thanks a lot mom! But in all seriousness he is my judge and one day he will judge the world. And we know that righteousness and goodness will prevail because He is good.

[Mar 10:17-18 NKJV] 17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one [is] good but One, [that is], God.

So in case you were wondering “Hmmm maybe I am good” well this verse just bursts your bubble. You are in fact just as crummy as the rest of us. You have flaws. I have flaws. We all have flaws. Flaws for everyone. This gentleman that came up to Jesus was the ‘Rich Young Ruler’ he was looking for eternal life. That’s what everyone want really isn’t it? Ultimately that’s it. Everyone is looking for the fountain of youth. And this time of year everyone makes a resolution to hit the gym. My gym will be packed for the next 4-6 weeks because everyone makes a resolution to get healthy. Get back in shape. Live their best life now. Give themselves a better quality of life by losing some weight or gaining mobility, etc. This young ruler knew eternal life wasn’t going to be found in the gym and he wanted to know what he could do to attain it. But before Jesus answers his question he, I think, wants to make a point about the man calling him good. From my understanding you didn’t just go around calling Rabbis good because it implied sinlessness and a complete goodness. Apparently in all of the Talmud there was never an instance of a rabbi being addressed as ‘Good teacher or good master.’ Only God was called good by rabbis in those days because he is the only one that is good.
So here’s the good news, God is good. Buuut now for the bad news.You ready for it? Thankfully you are already sitting down. We are definitely not.
[Isa 64:5-6 NKJV] 5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, [Who] remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned--In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved. 6 But we are all like an unclean [thing], And all our righteousnesses [are] like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Isaiah comes right out and says it. We need to be saved. Our sin makes us unacceptable and unworthy, an unclean thing. When you were unclean in the old testament you could not go to the house of the Lord or offer a sacrifice. Our best doesn’t come close to the goodness of God. We can’t in ourselves measure up. On judgment day if we don’t know Christ we will see what a good judge does.

The good news is he has made a way and is in the process of fixing the world. He is fixing what has been broken. We a lot of times just think we are hanging on until the end. We go through trials for a greater purpose and a lot of times we don’t see why. We don’t see the full picture. We get so caught up in our tiny corner of the world and don’t see how God is masterfully moving the pieces that he needs to. A lot of times we may feel like all hope is lost but there is hope. We look at the world and how godless it seems. We see the dishonesty of our leaders in government and the corruption. I mean how are we supposed to trust a politician that goes into office with modest income and savings and suddenly they become multimillionaires? Like how does that happen? And how are some of them so good at picking stockings? Then ironically they pass laws that help those same companies? I guess they are just that lucky…. We live in a fallen world. Things aren’t perfect. But God is fixing it. He’s already won. What we are witnessing is God giving people a chance to come to him. He is waiting on his church to rise up. Once it is all over we will be able to look back and see how awesome our God really truly is. We can only see but a sliver.

BUT with all the evil in the world it can be hard to truly believe that God is good or it feels more like a theory than reality or just something we say.

[Psa 34:8 NKJV] 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD [is] good; Blessed [is] the man [who] trusts in Him!

We see these sorts of verses all over the place in the Bible but then we look out into the world and see the ungodly prosper and evil seeming to prevail. There have been times in my life when I’ve been alone or in the car really crying out to the Lord “Why? Why do I have to go through this thing or that? Why do I struggle and the godless seem to coast through life?” Of course these thoughts are not new. Job experienced it for sure. He lost everything including his health for a while. Jeremiah had some rough patches there. Israel wandered around for 40 years because they doubted that God was good. So we are not unique in that.Our flesh will always want to question God. It will always want to doubt his goodness towards us.

Do we just want a pleasant life or do you want to be a laborer in God’s kingdom? I think that we think that God’s goodness means easy street. A lot of churches are filled with customers that are looking for what they can get from the church or what programs they have as opposed to partnering with and being a co-laborer to build God’s Kingdom. God’s goodness doesn’t mean the prosperity gospel as we hear it preached today. God’s goodness doesn’t mean you are not going to go through things or have challenges.

Job lost EVERYTHING. His livestock, servants, and his ten children, his health and then his wife tells him to give up and die. What a kick in the pants that had to be. Through multiple chapters Job and his friends go back and forth arguing about why. In chapter 3 Job curses the day of his birth and his buddy Eliphaz in chapter 4 was right there to console him and tell that he must have sinned. Probably just what Job needed to hear at that moment, right? (jk) Neither he or his friends knew why Job was going through what he was going through. His friends give their input and Job makes a defense and it’s not until Chapter 38 where God starts to address Job. And God doesn’t answer a single question of Job’s. He simply asks Job questions. I actually like how God starts off with Job

[Job 38:3 NKJV] 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

I read that as “Man up Job and listen.” I didn’t read the Message Bible on this one but that’s my guess as to its translation. Now of course Job doesn’t really have the answers to God’s questions. I think it was more to remind Job of who God is and how powerful and righteous he is.
[Job 38:4-21 NKJV] 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell [Me], if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 "Or [who] shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth [and] issued from the womb; 9 When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band; 10 When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors; 11 When I said, 'This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!' 12 "Have you commanded the morning since your days [began], [And] caused the dawn to know its place, 13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? 14 It takes on form like clay [under] a seal, And stands out like a garment. 15 From the wicked their light is withheld, And the upraised arm is broken. 16 "Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death? 18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell [Me], if you know all this. 19 "Where [is] the way [to] the dwelling of light? And darkness, where [is] its place, 20 That you may take it to its territory, That you may know the paths [to] its home? 21 Do you know [it], because you were born then, Or [because] the number of your days [is] great?
[Job 38:33-36 NKJV] 33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth? 34 "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an abundance of water may cover you? 35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go, And say to you, 'Here we [are]!'? 36 Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?

It goes on but doesn’t that really put things in perspective? We don’t know anything. God is AMAZING He did all that and knows every intricate part of the heavens and the earth. Verse 21 really is an eye opener at least for me. I can have all kinds of complaints but was I there when the God laid the foundations of the earth? When he created the stars or the waves. Can I understand fully what God has planned? Do I have his wisdom and judgment? The obvious answer is no. But he is good.

[Job 40:1-5 NKJV] 1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: 2 "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct [Him]? He who rebukes God, let him answer it." 3 Then Job answered the LORD and said: 4 "Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. 5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

Job has been convicted. He sees how small he is before an almighty God. And oftentimes we probably need some of that ourselves. Job sees himself in comparison to God. He was vile in comparison to a righteous God.

God then goes on to challenge Job to do what only God can do.

[Job 40:8-12 NKJV] 8 "Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? 9 Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? 10 Then adorn yourself [with] majesty and splendor, And array yourself with glory and beauty. 11 Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone [who is] proud, and humble him. 12 Look on everyone [who is] proud, [and] bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place.

Could you imagine God responding to you like this? It's humbling once you read it and if you can put yourself in Job’s shoes. His friends were accusing him and he felt the need to defend himself and his integrity. He couldn’t figure out why this was happening to him and couldn't figure out God. Maybe had thoughts that God wasn’t fair or overlooked him. But as we see from God’s response to him…. There are many many things that Job doesn’t know the answer to. Job couldn’t answer even the earthly questions that God had for him, let alone anything heavenly or eternal. And so it is with us. God is good but it also isn’t all about us and our timing. God restored Job and did so abundantly. Glory to God.

God alone is good. And it will all be one day ‘very good.’ You know He is a father to the fatherless. The defender of the widows (Psalm 68:5) and shall supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).

God is good to all. Till this day he has even fed his enemies. Those who hate him. Those who curse him and use his name in vain. He is a merciful God, giving people chance upon chance to make their hearts right with him. But God is good and that should also make us tremble and those that don’t know him even more so.

I think I will leave you with this:
[Jas 1:17 NKJV] 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

God’s goodness is eternal. There is no variation… There is no shadow. God is a loving father and in him we can have no doubt of his goodness or his love towards us. Thank the Lord that his body was broken for us. That his shed blood covers our sin because our best will never match his goodness.