God is described in Psalm 119:68 in this manner, “You are good, and what you do is good, teach me your decrees.” An invitation is offered in Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Promises are found in Psalm 84:11, “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.” The song writers of Scripture give praise to the goodness of God. God’s goodness is displayed through the pages of history and the paragraphs of our individual lives. And yet, our lives are also filled with pain, sorrow, and sadness. Therefore, we ask, “What’s up with that?”

It all starts with decisions. Scripture describes creation as good and very good. When God created man, creation went from good to very good. Decisions were everywhere, from God’s invitation to join Him in creation by naming everything, to what we eat and what we do. No decisions were needed for what we will wear. There was one decision we were warned about: do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If we eat of it, it will produce death. With all the good around, the temptation was too great to ignore. The temptation was great because it looked good. There was the offer of a new experience, and yet, it was all filled with a lie. The lie was, those who were created in the image of God could be like God if we ate. Did we not understand that we were created in the image of God? The moment we gave in, everything changed because now evil and death came to us. We who had known nothing but God’s goodness. We found fear, shame, and disappointment, which brought to us pain, sorrow, and sadness. If that was the end of the story, there would never be hope, peace, joy or love. That would be the case, except for the fact God is good.

In our dilemma, God begins to offer hope. He establishes a covenant to overcome the result of our decision, death. The song writers of Scripture found in the Psalms would tell us to take refuge in God, to trust the good God of creation. Who would show us a way to overcome death. Through time, God, who is good, would be developing the way for His plan to be accomplished. The plan would be executed at just the right time. God would become a man. This man would be called the Son of God and the Son of Man. He would come and take on the result of our decision and would die. The Good News of this death is that He would defeat death by rising to life again. He would provide the way for all who will follow to come to life again.  Those who follow trust what God has provided.

Here are some promises for those who will decide to trust what God has done. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2) “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4:16) “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:8) “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) And the list goes on and on and on.

God is good. He did not leave us when we were no longer good. God, in His goodness, took our evil and death and bought us a new life. Now we must learn, again, the ways of God. The song writers of Scripture sing about two ways on how to learn. First, ask God to teach us His ways. In God’s Good Book, the Bible, we learn the ways of God as He, through the Holy Spirit, teaches us from them. Second, we commit our lives to walk with Him and He will show us how to live a blameless life. It is about learning from Him and walking with Him that we will know, He is good.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block