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| Volume 19 Number 9 September 2017 | Page 13 |
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| Volume 19 Number 9 September 2017 | Page 13 |
Dean Kelly
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:16-17). It is very important to recognize that God is the Deliverer of all that is good. Every blessing that any person receives comes down from the Father above. Therefore, it is appropriate for someone who has had something good happen in his or her life to give the glory to God, no matter who that person is, but especially if he or she is a Christian. To declare, “God Is So Good,” is not inappropriate at times like that, and I am not simply criticizing or attacking. I do think, however, that we need to be careful in saying this that we do not fail to recognize that God is good—all the time, even when bad things happen to us. I have often thought of the importance of this perception.
When we suffer, it does not mean that God is not good. One of the major lessons of the Book of Job is that God is just and right, and that He is with the one who suffers. When we are in the midst of great difficulties in life, we still need to understand that God is good. The attitude of the Christian should be that of the song by Jennie Wilson, “Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand.”
Time is filled with swift transition,
Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
Refrain:
Hold to God’s unchanging hand,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand;
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
Trust in Him who will not leave you,
Whatsoever years may bring,
If by earthly friends forsaken
Still more closely to Him cling.
Covet not this world’s vain riches
That so rapidly decay,
Seek to gain the heav’nly treasures,
They will never pass away.
When your journey is completed,
If to God you have been true,
Fair and bright the home in glory
Your enraptured soul will view.
Remember that we cannot see the “Big Picture” that God can see. What seems to us to be disaster can ultimately work out for our betterment. That does not make the things through which we go “good” on an item by item basis, but it does promise a “good” outcome. Romans 8:28 reads, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” I have read of some who have argued that this does not mean that God will make all things work out for good for the individual. I have to respectfully disagree. I look at the context, and it seems to me that it means exactly that. It is an offer of hope, because God is good, no matter what happens.
We need to understand that God is good, always. God’s goodness is not eradicated by the fact that He is just. Those who are in rebellion to Him will be punished. The extension of His grace through the sacrifice of Jesus has made it possible for all men (Titus 2:11) to be saved, if they will come to God in obedient faith. His goodness has allowed us to have the opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3:9).
God is good. When things go well, it is His gift; when things do not go well, He is with us. In the end, His good is displayed in Jesus. God is good—always!
Ring, Ring
Derek Broome
The phone rings, rings and rings. Nobody answers. Does that mean that nobody is home? No. Does that mean that the person was busy, not necessarily? Sometime, you may send a very short, vague text message to someone, but in all actuality, unless you tell something earthshattering, you do not even receive a reply to your text message.
Communication is a worldwide problem, which is amazing since we have so many different communication devices that are supposed to make communication easier. Countries, states, school systems, families and marriages suffer each day because people no longer know how to communicate effectively. If our communication is so bad with each other, how bad do we think our communication is with God?
Prayer is the way that we can approach the throne of God with our every care, which would include the good and the bad in our lives. Yet, for so many people when success and victories come their way, the tendency is to glory in themselves instead of giving God the glory. Do we not realize that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17)?
On top of not giving God the glory, what do we do when something bad happens in our lives? For so many people, the instinct is to try to solve their own problems or maybe to share them with a close friend. We may have the talents and the abilities that it takes to solve our problems, and it is so great that we have people we can rely on. However, the first person to Whom we should turn at any moment in our lives is the Lord.
We read in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” We have a God Who is willing to listen to our every prayer. Are we ready to openly communicate to our Father and give our lives over to Him?