Is God Really Good?

Whenever something "bad" happens to us ... when the unexpected and uninvited difficulty crashes into our lives knocking us over and leaving us breathless ... it is at these times that the Enemy comes along and asks, "Is God really good? Don't you think if he were truly good ... then he certainly would not allow you to have to suffer this sort of pain, yes?"

This strategy of Satan of tempting us to doubt God's goodness is nothing new. It's as old as the Garden of Eden. For in his temptation of Eve, he implicitly suggests that God is holding out on her and Adam in giving them one (imagine that, ONE) restriction.  And so Satan says to Eve, "Listen, Eve. God doesn't want you eating that fruit because he knows that if and when you do, you will become like him. And as far as he is concerned, there is room in this universe for only one God .... and it's not you!" (see Genesis 3:4-5). Eve bought the devil's lie, and we have been paying the price ever since.

But before we come down too hard on Eve, we must look long and hard in the mirror. For we are quick (and at times VERY quick) to do the same! SO ... how can we fight off these temptations from the enemy to doubt the goodness of God? This morning, as I was reading some devotional thoughts by Jerry Bridges, he offered up some solid advice in answer to this question. Here' what he wrote:

"There’s no doubt that the most convincing evidence of God’s love in all of Scripture is His giving His Son to die for our sins. 'This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins   1 John 4:9-10, NIV). 

Our greatest need is not freedom from adversity. No calamity in this life could in any way be compared with the absolute calamity of eternal separation from God. In like manner, Jesus said no earthly joy could compare with the eternal joy of our names written in heaven (see Luke 10:20). God showed His love by meeting our greatest need — a need so great that no other can come close to it in comparison. If we want proof of God’s love for us, then we must look first at the Cross where God offered up His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Calvary is the one objective, absolute, irrefutable proof of God’s love for us (How Great Is Our God: Timeless Daily Readings on the Nature of God)."

So the next time Satan comes knocking, trying to get you to doubt God's goodness ... just remember the cross! 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj