OUR GOD IS GOOD
PSALM 119:65-72
Bible-believing churches throughout the land
have taught for a long, long time that “God is good”. It is a belief that most, who would claim to be Christians would
ascribe to. However, when we are
confronted with hard situations, we can be tempted to have thoughts about God
not being good at all. How could a
“good” God let this situation (death, illness, poverty, family problems, war,
etc.) happen? Couldn’t an all-powerful
God prevent this?
As
always, Scripture speaks to our questions and complaints. Psalm 119:65,66 tell us God was good to
David, the author of the Psalm, and he lovingly trusted God’s Word. Verse 67 goes on to reveal the pain David
experienced and why! He was messing
around and God came down on him. Hard
times don’t always come because of our sin, but that is the first thing we
should look at. Verse 68 reminds us
that in the midst of David’s sin, discipline and repentance, he declares “You
are good and do good”. David realized,
as we must, that the trials in life refine and beautify the true believer.
Derby
China, made in Derby, England, is highly prized. On a visit to the factory, an observer was shocked to see the
artisans applying ugly paint to the china.
There was a yellowish brown, a bluish black and a dirty-looking red, no
beauty here at all. To top it off, a black paint was applied around the edge of
the china, whoever would want this?
Then the item was placed in the oven and an amazing transformation took
place. The black became gold, the blue
and red were now bright and lustrous. This was now fine china, a beautiful
prize to possess. God’s Word tells us
in Isaiah 48:10, “Behold I have refined you, but not like silver; I have chosen
you in the furnace of affliction”. His
purpose is that we have a close, loving relationship with Him, and that often
takes the challenges of life to show us how much we need Him and His grace.
The
next time your circumstances are saying our God isn’t good, remember how David
looked beyond what he could see, to his God and declared in faith, “God is good
and does good.”
Rev.
Jerry Williams
