THE GOODNESS OF GOD

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This post was by Randy Alcorn on http://www.patheos.com which was adapted from his book If God is Good. Let me also recommend Randy’s book If God Is Good, Why Do We Hurt? Make sure you click on this video below before you read the post.

A dear friend sent me this video. If you don’t have time to read the article below, just listen to the wonderful song on YouTube, which this little boy makes come alive.

What a powerful reminder that God is the Greatest Good and the source of all lesser goods: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). Wayne Grudem says in Systematic Theology, “The goodness of God means that God is the final standard of good and that all that God is and does is worthy of approval.”

Scripture contains many direct affirmations of God’s goodness, such as:

“Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.” Psalm 25:8

“You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.” Psalm 119:68

“Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever.” Jeremiah 33:11

“The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Nahum 1:7

God extends His goodness to His people.

God’s goodness entails a number of His other attributes. Grudem also says in Systematic Theology, “God’s mercy is his goodness toward those in distress, his grace is his goodness toward those who deserve only punishment, and his patience is his goodness toward those who continue to sin over a period of time.”

God’s goodness is linked to His love: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6). His goodness also connects with His holiness: “We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple” (Psalm 65:4). “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you” (Psalm 31:19). God has stored up His goodness for those who fear Him. That means in the future He plans to bestow upon us a storehouse full of goodness.

God manifests His goodness to all people.

God does not restrict His goodness to believers only. He is good to all His creatures: “The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9); “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17; see also Matthew 5:45).

God grants His goodness to humanity at large, manifested in both nature and culture, in such good things as animals, forests, rivers, music, art, and sports.

To say that God is good is not to say God will always appear to be good, or that when He is good we will always like Him for it.

Consider the anguished cry of Jeremiah: “He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones. He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship” (Lamentations 3:2–5).

This outcry doesn’t appear to affirm God’s goodness, does it? Jeremiah sounds like Epicurus or David Hume. It seems remarkable that God would include in His inspired Word such human displays of confusion and frustration.

In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Susan asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan the Lion is safe. “Who said anything about safe?” Mr. Beaver answers. “’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

This is sound theology—God can be good without being safe; He can be loving without bowing to our every wish or desire.

All arguments to the contrary, God is utterly good and worthy to receive our worship.

In Deserted by God, Sinclair Ferguson tells the story of English missionary Allen Gardiner. In January 1852, a search party found Gardiner’s lifeless body. He and his companions had shipwrecked on Tierra del Fuego. Their provisions had run out. They starved to death.

Gardiner, at one point, felt desperate for water; his pangs of thirst, he wrote, were “almost intolerable.” Far from home and loved ones, he died alone, isolated, weakened, and physically broken.

Isn’t this one of those stories told to raise the problem of evil and suffering? Indeed, if the story ended like this, we would find it tragic beyond description.

Despite the wretched conditions of his death, Gardiner wrote out Scripture passages, including Psalm 34:10: “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing” (KJV). Near death, his handwriting feeble, Gardiner managed to write one final entry into his journal: “I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God.”

https://youtu.be/oLvuckwJxPA?si=mosHLhPNAoipFxiO

EVOLUTION CAN NOT EXPLAIN THIS MARVEL

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THE MULTIPLICATION MYSTERY OF THE SOUTHERN MASKED WEAVER

THE MALE Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) from southern Africa, some 12.5 cm (5 in) long, hangs upside down to finish weaving his elaborate nest. He is doing his part to produce the next generation.

With his strong, conical beak, he collects the materials he needs, such as strips of reeds and palm blades, and weaves these into the nest. He knows what to collect, and how to build the nest. He chooses where to attach it, how to affix the first strips of material, and the way to add the subsequent pieces.

The nest design is remarkable. It hangs like a large pear from a suitable support such as a tree branch, a bush, or even a wire fence. It has a downward-facing entrance and a ceiling inside to protect from rain. The woven construction protects from the sun, wind, and predators, and keeps the chicks warm at night. After the male has built the nest, the hen lines it with feathers or grass-seed heads to make it soft and warm.

It is interesting to consider the amazing knowledge, skills, and project management talent required. Creating the nest and the eggs, incubating them, and then caring for the chicks, is a cooperative effort between two individual birds, the male and female. The interdependence and complexity of the process is astounding.

The timing is one remarkable aspect. The nest must be finished when the female needs to lay her eggs—typically 2–5. She then sits on them for some 14 days until they hatch. After that, the female feeds and cares for the chicks until they leave the nest, which can take up to 21 days. Sometimes the male will help.

The question arises, where did these birds learn to weave their nesting masterpiece? How did they know when to begin building? Or how to care for the chicks? From the very beginning, these weavers had to be proficient in every aspect of parenting, or there would not have been a next generation. This is another mystery where the Bible makes sense of the world. The knowledge, skills, motivation, and instinct were provided by the Creator Himself at the beginning when He created birds on Day 5 of Creation Week (Genesis 1:20–23).

Our Heavenly Father loves it when we acknowledge His goodness, above all His goodness for sending His Son, Jesus to atone for our sins.

The penalty for sin is death, eternal separation from God. Think about it, all three persons of the Godhead play a part in our redemption, our Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that now lives inside the spirit of every believer to enable them to live the Christian life. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be our counsellor, teacher, and comforter. How good is our God? He is worthy of all our thanks and praise.