VICTORY预览

The Goodness of God 

Jesus told us we would face trouble, but He promised to walk with us through the fire and carry us. In the middle of a storm, we can have joy and peace as we anchor ourselves in the unchanging goodness of God.

Jesus came to earth to reveal the Father. He told his disciples, 

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father,” (John 14:9).

When Jesus died on the cross and took on all that we deserved, He demonstrated the heart of the Father. When He healed every person that approached Him, whether their faith was great or small, He displayed the kindness of the Father. Jesus revealed the mercy and grace of the Father when He told the woman who was caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more,”  (John 8:11). 

Jesus represented the Father in how He dealt with sickness, demonic torment, conflict, and crisis. He showed us a Father who is good.

There is a battle over our minds and hearts, to taint our affections towards the Father and distort who we know Him to be. The belief in the goodness of God is a cornerstone and foundation for knowing and trusting Him deeply. If His goodness is not our cornerstone,  conflict will cause us to question or accuse God. 

God is not the author of evil, but a Redeemer, who turns evil situations around for good. God fiercely pursues us and chases us down with His goodness, regardless of our current state. He longs to fill our lives with His goodness and joy.

In order to make the goodness of God our lens in the midst of hardship, we have to constantly renew our minds, recalling the testimony of His goodness that has stayed constant throughout all of history.

“Your testimonies are my  delight; they are my  counselors.” Psalm 119:24

Testimonies are our counselors, they instruct us and teach us about the goodness of God. When we hear a testimony of God bringing breakthrough to someone who went through our same problem, that testimony becomes an invitation for us to experience the same breakthrough. 

There is power in remembering what God has done—it renews our minds. It brings us back, and centers us on the goodness of God that has been chasing us down the entire time. 

All my life you have been faithful

All my life you have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able, 

I will sing of the goodness of God

Pray & Reflect

When we are faced with hardship, there are three questions we can ask ourselves to turn our gaze back onto what God is doing, and remember His goodness. Take time today to meet with the Lord and ask these questions.

• Do you see? Can you see the goodness of God in your life, despite the bad? Take a moment to find evidence of His goodness throughout your week or your day.
• Do you hear? If you can’t see the goodness of God, can you hear what He’s saying to you about your situation?
• Do you remember? If you can’t see God’s goodness, and you can’t hear what He’s saying, you can always remember what He has done for you in the past. Take a moment and reflect on all that God has done for you in the past months or years. Celebrate His goodness in those moments by thanking Him and bringing Him an offering of praise.