"God's Goodness"

  What's your view of God? How do you really perceive Him? Your conviction and understanding of God are revealed in many different ways. What you do in your worship reveals your understanding of God. It can also reveal your lack of understanding also. But mainly what you say to others, what you speak reveals your insight of God. And we need to speak!

  Moses asks of God, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" (Ex. 33:18) God responds by letting Moses know that no one can see His face and live. But God does grant this: "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you..." (Ex 33:19) The goodness of God is nothing like the goodness of man. We compare goodness with one another but God's goodness, who do we have to compare it too? How are we going to get a glimpse of God's goodness and speak about it?

  Look at the cross! The death of Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Lord speaks volumes about the goodness of God. Yes, we see mercy, grace, righteousness and all those elements of God but His goodness is demonstrated also. 

  Here is Micah the prophet never witnessing or hearing about the saving death of Jesus but he speaks loudly the goodness of God. "Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."  (Micah 7:18-19) Micah speaks of God before a sin-filled people. Micah speaks to this sin-filled people that God does all the above with delight and compassion. God doesn't have to be begged or bribed or cajoled into forgiving. God does what He does with a fullness of generous joy. 

  Why can't we believe that? To realize what God does with delight brings about a recognition of His goodness so that we can adore Him and know Him. And here Jesus stands, the complete delight of God on our behalf and God delights in this love for us. Isn't that what Rom. 5:9-10 speak? What do you speak? How do you view God? Speak of Him! Tell it to one another! This is what we proclaim every Lord's Day at His Supper! Tell is clearly and speak it often. The goodness of God has passed before our eyes.