God is A Good God

GOD IS A GOOD GODEvery – one enjoys the goodness of God, yet not every- one believes that God is a good God, yet His Word declares Him to exactly that, good. In fact he even got real excited with Moses over the fact that He is a good God.

Look at:

Exodus 34:5-7 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generationOne must consider that God is full of goodness, you might liken the goodness of as if you to bake a Carrot Cake to do so you require:

CARROT CAKE

4  eggs

1 cup  sugar

1 cup  vegetable oil

2 cups  all purpose flour

1-½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp  salt

2 tsp  cinnamon

2 cups  carrots – grated

1 1\2 cups  apples – pared, cored, grated

1 cup  raisins

1 cup  slivered almonds

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until very light and frothy. Add the sugar gradually, beating until very light. Gradually whip in the oil.

Sift together the flour with baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Slowly add to the egg mixture. Stir in the carrots, apples, raisins and nuts.

Pour into a greased 9″ spring form pan and bake in a preheated 350NF (180NC) oven for 1-½ to 2 hours or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in the pan 10-15 minutes before removing, turn cake out and cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

 Now that you mix the entire cake take go back and try to remove the egg yolks. You simply could not, that is the same with trying to remove something from the goodness of God, God personality is goodness so for someone to believe that God causes something opposite to His personality to happen within their life is to try and remove that from Him, to try to remove the egg yolks. 

So what does God’s goodness consist of, well we find that the word for good means:

Pleasant and agreeable to the senses. Malachi 3:3-4

Pleasant to the higher senses. Malachi 3:3-4

Excellent of it’s kind. Hebrews 1:1-6

Rich, valuable in estimation. 1 Peter 2:9

Appropriate and becoming. Philippians 1:26-27

Comparatively better. Philippians 1:23

Happy, prosperous to mans nature. Psalm 1

To have understanding. Proverbs 4:5-7

To be kind, benign, right and ethical. Isaiah 26:3-4

 Psalm 106:1-4Notice that when they talk about God being good the writer declares that God’s mercy endures forever.

 Mercy is God’s expression of His personality infused within the heart of man. Mercy means goodness, kindness and faithfulness.

Psalm 136:1-26

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. 4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. 5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. 6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. 7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: 8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: 9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. 10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: 11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: 12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. 13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. 16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. 17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: 20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: 21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever. 23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: 24 And hah redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. 26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 Look at Psalm 107:8,15,21,31 (the only places in scripture that this expression is found).

Psalm 107:1-43 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever As we worship God His presence is ushered into the place where we are at and He beginning to express Himself. In order to do that He must express Himself through His personality. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14

17 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. 18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. 19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. 20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. 21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. 23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. 25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 33 He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. 35 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. 36 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; 37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. 38 He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. 39 Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. 40 He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. 41 Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. 42 The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. 43 Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hah redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. 7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. 10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; 11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. 13 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. 15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 16 For he hah broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

 

So as you walk in the goodness of God keep in mind that as you spend time in worship and praise His goodness and mercy remains in you for as

Psalm 118:6, The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? One of the most powerful ways that God uses to express His favor on man is to watch over him through providing for him.

.Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. 19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

God’s provision is never limited to what we think, it is limited only to the goodness of God. What His nature is, His nature is always that of giving. From the moment that God gave His Son for our redemption to the giving us everlasting and eternal life.

Now Jesus says in John 10:10b, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.Now notice that His desire is that we experince an abundant (bounteous, generous, lavish, ample, plentiful, substanial, and sufficent) life. The greek for abundant is perissos, which means: something beyond measure, superflous, very highly, superior, extraodrinary, surpassing and uncommon, more excellent, more remarkable.

This then is the life that Jesus would have us live, yet many of do not, why? Well He answers that question as well in the first part of the verse, he says: The thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: so that answers the very question as to why. Yet it brings us to yet another question and that is “who is the thief”. For many years preachers have always taught that the theif is none other than Satan himself, and of course that holds true, Satan is a thief, but that is not the context of this passage of scripture. Therefore the thief must be someone or something else, if not Satan then who. Look at verse 1 John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, The same is a thief and a robber. The pharse a “thief and a robber” refers to someone who gains something unlawfully through violence. Here Jesus is saying that any teacher who teaches us that His life of abundance is contrary to His desires is one who steals from us in a violent manner.

We must be sure that what we are hearing is the Word of God and then allow nothing, not what famous writers, preachers or teachers have to say about to steal from us what Jesus has already said. If Jesus says you should have an abundant life life, why allow someone less than Jesus to teach us otherwise.

Remember too that the abundant life begins the moment we choose Jesus, at that very second His abundance is poured out upon us. Not just when we get to heaven. Heaven is going to be a place that is fantastic, but God’s goodness is for us in the here and now as well as when we get to heaven.

So then what is this abundance for, let’s look at

Deuteronomy 8:18

18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

 Here we find several keys to living the abundant life in God. The first is for us to recognize that we play a large part in it, the command is that we are to remember the Lord our God. Sometimes we tend to forget that the responsibility is on us too continue in fellowship with the Lord. We want everything that God has to offer but not spend any time with Him. God’s blessings do not come upon those who do not know God, and the greatest blessings come upon those who spend the greatest amount of time in His presence.

Scripture actually shows us that we live under the curse of the law when we do not serve God for the abundance that he has provided us with.

Deuteronomy 28:47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;The provision of God is not something one should lightly upon, for God foresaw all you would require then send Jesus to pay the highest price in order that your lif eof abundance could be maintained.

One of the Greek and Hebrew meaning for the word provide is: to foresee, to perceive, to think of beforehand, and you should know that is exactly what God was doing when he send His Son to the cross to die on your behalf. He foresaw all you would need, all you would require he had the ability to look alkong the time line and see that as of today you would require an anwser to your need, then in foreseeing it, He send His Son to meet it.

When we understand that we will understand why our salvation is so important to Jesus. Our words saved, salvation basically are dervied from two Greek words sozo and soteria which carry the meaning of deliverance, preservation, safety, health and healing, to be whole or to prosper, to rescue from danger or destruction and to be free from the molestation of an emeny.Jesus then would be the soter (so-tare) the one who enforces the rights and privledges of salvation, the one who confers upon his subjects the benifits of salvation.

Your abundance is wrapped within the salvation of Christ the Anointed one of God, all you need to is to move from your present dwelling place to dwelling with Him.