God is Good (2)!

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)- Ephesians 2:4-5

In the previous devotional, we established that to see the goodness of God, we look to the Cross and what He has done in reconciling us back to Himself. Today, we would go a step further to look beyond the salvation story to understand the character of God generally—just how good He is.

Growing up, I always thought the reason Jonah fled from going to preach to the people at Nineveh, was simply because he didn't want to answer the call of God. But that was not the reason!

Jonah 4:1-2

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? THEREFORE I FLED BEFORE UNTO TARSHISH: FOR I KNEW THAT THOU ART A GRACIOUS GOD, AND MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER, AND OF GREAT KINDNESS, AND REPENTEST THEE OF EVIL.

This was the statement of someone under the Old Covenant. He said the reason that he fled was because he knew God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, greatly kind. How much more we under the New Covenant? This is how we should speak. All those words speak of how good God is. That is God’s character. He is good. He is gracious. He is merciful. He is slow to anger. He is kind.

Does it mean after hearing this, one goes on and lives as he pleases? No! The more we hear about the goodness of God, the more we love Him and honor Him in our hearts. The more we reverence Him and regard Him in our hearts. The goodness of God is what leads us to have a heart change from evil to good. The more we see how good He is, the more we respond positively to His goodness. The more people hear of the goodness of God revealed through the Cross, the more they will turn away from sin and turn to God. The more people hear that God chose them before the foundation of the world, the more they will respond to His Love.   

Friend, yes there is a coming judgment, and we don’t deny it. But that is the more reason why we need to tell those yet to believe how much God loves them and chose them before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him. And all they need to do is believe in Him and they will be saved. Our message is not that of condemnation, it is of reconciliation. We are to go out and tell people yet to believe, that God in His goodness has reconciled them to Himself and once they believe in Him, they are accepted in His eyes because He loves them. Go out today and tell that unsaved fellow how good God is because He is!      

SAY THIS: Father, Thank You for goodness, mercy, kindness and love. I therefore go forth to tell anyone yet to believe how good you have been in reconciling them to Yourself because You love them.

You are blessed. God loves you. Yes you!!!