If you have just concluded your usual mantra of “God is Good!” “All the time” this question will offend you. It might even shock you that a Christian writer is asking, “Is God good?” Of course, God is wonderful, you respond, in anger. And trust me, I am with you there. The question then remains: If we believe that God is good, why do we fail to do what He says? Why do we disobey Him? Is it possible that we are not sure He is good enough to have our best interests at heart?
I am sorry to inform you but the fact that we do not obey God completely is a bad sign. It shows conclusively that we are not too sure He is good. Like most of us, not everybody in the bible believed that God was good. Of course, if their pastor asked them “Is God Good?” they would all say yes, shouting the loudest. And yet the bible says by their fruit (not their words or shouts) shall you know them. The bible talks of fruit unto repentance, which means we do not sin and when we do, we quickly repent.
I wonder how I am doing in that department. How are you doing in the same department of repentance? Is God good in your books? Only you can tell by the degree of your obedience to God. If you often disobey God, you are telling Him He is not good to you. And that therefore, you have to find your own way since you cannot trust Him to lead you aright. After this explanation, please ask yourself the question again “Is God good?” See what answer you come up with and plan to make amends.
Satan Asked Eve Is God Good?
At the Fall in the garden of Eden, the devil posed this same question to Eve. Of course, he had a hidden agenda of sowing doubt about God’s goodness into Eve’s mind. And he succeeded in convincing them that God was not as good to her as she had thought. The result? Sin and disobedience, which we usually refer to as the Fall. Next time the thought comes to you “Is God Good?” you now know its origin. The devil is the origin, but don’t forget that he is the father of lies.
That means that when the devil is trying to make you think God is not good, he is telling a lie. Don’t believe him. Unfortunately, we believe in a lie and make God too small in our eyes. We think He cannot save us and that He cannot be that good. Today, we are not asking the question “Is God good” to make you sin. We ask this question to show that if you really believe that God is good, you will follow Him. You will totally obey Him. How lovely that would be.
But like Eve who believed that by forbidding her, God was not good, we think God is not good. Consequently, we follow our own will instead of following God’s will. We do our own thing and do it our own way. “Is God good?” Then, follow Him as Joshua charged the children of Israel. By not following God’s commandments, we are saying to unbelievers that God is not good.
The Creator Was Wonderful To The Three Hebrew Youths
How unfortunate! And how sad for all our evangelistic efforts. Unless we show by our total obedience that God is good, who will join us to serve Him. Until you can answer the question in the affirmative, don’t waste time on evangelism.
Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego knew the answer to the question of whether God is good. They categorically informed King Nebuchadnezzar of God’s goodness even as they were being thrown into the furnace. By their actions, they won the King and the nation over to God. They did not have to undertake an evangelism program. They just answered the question “Is God Good?” with positive actions. And that was their entire evangelism program.
What about you and me? If some kidnapper came to us and asked us “Is God good?” what would our reactions show? Would we show by our actions that God is good or would we do the opposite? May God help us to show by our total obedience that God is good, all the time.
Maranatha!
