How Good?

We Christians share a common belief that God is good. How good? Really good. We have that little ritual we do sometimes where someone says, "God is good" and the rest respond, "all the time." Now, when Scripture says, "God is love," that doesn't mean that God and love are equivalent. It means that God defines love. In the same way, the phrase, "God is good," indicates that good is defined by God. James wrote, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17). In Genesis, Abraham asked, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Gen 18:25). A rhetorical question, obviously. In the same way, we can be sure that our God who is good will always do what is good. But I have to ask. Just how good is your God?

Jeremiah, quoting God, wrote, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope'." (Jer 29:11). Now, either Jeremiah misquoted God or God failed, because Jeremiah's job was to tell Israel that their doom was at hand if they didn't repent. And they wouldn't. And they were hauled away into captivity. Does that mean that God's plans failed? Depends on how good your God is. We routinely get angry at God when He fails to come through as we wanted. He doesn't heal a loved one, doesn't get you that job you hoped for, doesn't meet your felt needs, whatever it might be. "Why would God do that?" is our common cry at that point. Depends on how good your God is. Jesus, at Gethsemane, prayed, "Let this cup pass from Me" (Matt 26:39). God didn't. Did He fail to do what was best? Depends on how good your God is. If "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases" (Psa 115:3), does He? Depends on how good your God is. Ask yourself. Is this the best of all possible worlds? Depends on how good your God is.

Paul wrote, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28). Do we? Do we know that? "All things," he says. Joseph was slated to be killed by his brothers but barely escaped death by being sold into slavery where he was enslaved, wrongfully accused, jailed unjustly for years, and finally brought to his ultimate place. He told his brothers, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Gen 50:20). How good is your God? If you can declare that all God does is good -- "even this" -- you have a good God. If you're second guessing Him, you might not know the God of the Bible. Because it really is true that God is good ... all the time.