God: God Is Good

Psalm 119:68 says, "You are good, and what you do is good." Everything that God does is good, because goodness is a part of God's character.  Psalm 145:9 says, "The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." God is always good and He is good to everyone. Jesus said, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).

We all experience God's goodness every day in countless ways that we aren't even aware of.  Every blessing in your life is a sign of God's goodness. You've probably had one of those moments when everything came together in your life and it all seemed just about perfect. Did it make you say, "Thanks, Lord. You are good!"

God is good even when everything isn't perfect in our lives. In fact, God is good even when everything is falling apart.  God's goodness doesn't come and go.  It is a constant in our lives.  That's why Paul says that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28). Even our worst days contain signs of God's goodness.

Because God is good we don't have to worry about being good enough to earn his favor.  God delights in doing good things for his children, just like any good parent, even more so.  It pleases Him to show us his goodness by forgiving us, by blessing us, by graciously giving good things that we have not earned or deserved.

What does this mean? We do not have to live our lives in fear. God is good and is eager to do good to us. We should rejoice in His goodness every day.  We need to keep our eyes opened and our minds attuned to God's goodness in our lives so that we can give Him thanks and praise.  Because God is good to us, we should be good to others, not repaying evil for evil but showing goodness to everyone we meet.  In this way we will shine the light of God's goodness in their lives.  Goodness is one of the fruits of the Spirit that should be evident in our lives because we know God and have experienced his goodness.

God: God Is Holy

God is holy. Perfect. Righteous. In every way.  What more is there to say? "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he" (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Every aspect of our morality, our perception of right and wrong, is based entirely on the character of God.  God has no character flaws. And his character defines virtue.  Anything out of sync with God's character is evil.  Everything in accord with God's character is good. Without the holiness of God as its standard, there could be no morality, no universal standard of right and wrong by which to judge conduct.

If there is no God, then there is no basis for morality other than what each individual thinks at the moment. It is entirely subjective and changeable.  Therefore, apart from God there is no such thing as morality.

God's holiness is beautiful. "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple" (Psalm 27:4). As King David said in First Chronicles 16:29, God's perfect character moves us to "worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness."

God wants us to strive to emulate his holiness in our lives. Jesus said: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Some people argue that it is impossible for us to be perfect so it's foolish to even try.  You will only be depressed and discouraged by your failure.  But that is not true.  Paul says, "Aim for perfection" (2 Corinthians 13:11). Paul can say that even though he knows we will never achieve it because he also knows that God's grace is perfect.  It covers all our sins and shortcomings so that we don't have to be discouraged by our failures.

What does this mean? If you want to know the difference between right and wrong, don't listen to the world. The world will constantly redefine morality to suit its own selfish whims.  Look to God and his Word. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32). When you want the strength to do the right thing, ask God and He will supply.  With David we should say,  "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect" (Psalm 18:32). It is foolish for us to try and do the right thing on our own, or in our own strength. Walk by faith in Jesus, who was Holy for us, and who gives us his Holy Spirit so that we may live holy and God pleasing lives.

God: God Is Omniscient

Omniscient is a word used only to describe God, unless it is used as hyperbole to describe an extremely intelligent and knowledgeable person. The word literally means "all knowledge."  That is exactly what God has at his disposal.  In fact, God is the source of all true knowledge.  Where did the laws of nature come from?  They were established by God.  What about the incredible amounts of information stored in our DNA that makes life possible?  It was written by God. Mathematics and music were both invented by God. 

God has all knowledge not only of the physical world, but of all things past, present and future. There is nothing that is unknown to God.  Even your secret sins are known to God.  That is why we must not try to hide our sins but confess them to Him and seek God's mercy. 

God understands things that we could not possibly understand.  His wisdom and understanding far exceed anything that we are capable of knowing or learning.  That is why some things about God are a mystery to us.  I like to tell people that my brain isn't big enough to wrap all the way around God.  It would be frightening to me if I could understand God completely.  That would mean that the God who is in charge of everything is no smarter than I am.  And having someone no smarter than me in charge of everything would be an utter disaster!

What does this mean? When life doesn't seem to make any sense, and everything seems to be careening out of control, we can be confident that God understands what is going on, even if you and I don't. God has infinitely more information about any given situation than we do.  So even if we can't figure out why God is allowing something to happen, or doing something that doesn't make sense to us, we can trust that He really does know what He is doing. 

When we are looking for advice on how to deal with someone or something in life, we can be confident in seeking guidance in God's Word.  The Bible is God's source of wisdom for our lives.  Whatever God tells us in his Word we can trust.  He is not mistaken about anything. So when you're trying to figure out a difficult problem in life, get into God's Word and see what he will reveal to you.  His wisdom is there for your to access and apply to your life. 

God: God Is Omnipresent

God is the creator of everything that exists, including the space-time continuum in which we live. We function in three dimensions of space and one dimension of time. Scientists, however, based on what we know and understand about the universe and the laws of physics that govern the universe have calculated that there must be at least 11 dimensions, most of which we are unable to access.

God, however, being supernatural and existing apart from everything that He created occupies and functions in every dimension of the universe. And because God is eternal, there is no dimension of space or time where God is not present. He is everywhere at all times, past, present, and future. 

That is why the Psalmist wrote, "Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast" (Psalm 139:7-10).

This also means that there is no sin that we can hide from God. "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence." This is why it is so important for us to confess our sins and seek God's grace and forgiveness in Jesus.

However, if anyone persistently rejects God and the grace that He offers us in Jesus Christ, that person will spend eternity apart from God and God's presence. Thus, we should pray with David, "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11).

The most wonderful promise concerning heaven is that when we are there we will be in the presence of God in a more wonderful way than we have ever experienced before. "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11). 

What does this mean? God's omnipresence is a wonderful truth that should give us great peace and confidence in every circumstance.  No matter where we are, no matter what we are going through, God is there with us, and for us. He will guide us. He will hold us fast in his loving hands. Never fear, for you are always in God's presence for He is present everywhere. And when we have been kept safe by his presence through every trial of this life, He will bring us home to live in his presence for all eternity.