God is good

 

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. James 1:13-18 ESV

                Each one of us is born into sin, we have innate desires that draw us away from God by promising us good and delivering only evil. We are unnaturally naturally bent to be enticed and lured by desires into sin which leads not to the life we sought but into death.  We are born being deceived, blind to the reality, and doomed to die in vain pursuits. But God would not have us to remain so.

                God calls us to Himself, and in this we must understand He is calling us to the greatest good, to the very fountain head of all goodness. This is unnaturally difficult for us to accept. James points out the immutability of God, the fact that He is always the same, unchanging, unchangeable. If He was good yesterday, He must be good today, and He shall be good tomorrow. We can trust in His goodness as it has been proved time and time again. It is best and fully proved by the fact that He has opened the way of salvation and has published it in the Bible. He has placed this most wonderful news in hotel room drawers all over the world, and even caused it to be proclaimed publicly each week.

                God calls us, and would have all men hear this same call, to the greatest good. He does not call us to some slight increase in goodness, to some lesser source of life abundant and free. God calls us to Himself. God cannot call us to any good thing apart from Himself, for no such thing exist. And so, He not only calls us to Himself, but He calls us to Himself in every single aspect of our lives. He would give us the greatest possible good in every arena of our existence, redeeming every last portion by placing Himself at the very center of it all. He would give all this. And He would give it continually.

                He established means to draw us and hold us near to Himself, to keep us from giving way to those evil desires that yet remain in us. He commands for our good, for our benefits He establishes accountability. These things are good as they help us in our relationship to God. They must be good for He has established them. They must be good because they lead nearer the ultimate good. Even in the perceived and actual difficulties these means presents there is, for there must be, good.

                So then, the best course which leads to the greatest good is God’s way which is singular, narrow, and straight, in places rough and steep ever and always good. Everything else is a lie, a false promise of an easy and wide road which leads only to the same destruction.

Prayer

                Our Father help us to see that all good things are from You, and that You are the ultimate good. Then draw us nearer our God to Yourself for Your glory. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Songs

Nearer my God to Thee

Great God from Thee

All good gifts by Sojourn Music

Immutable by Shai Linne

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