Jesus Reveals God’s Goodness
Devotional Reading: A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect —life in its fullness until you overflow! John 10:10 TPT
Many Christians still think God causes or allows evil to take place so He can display His mercy. I’ve often been criticized when I express this thought. But to think God causes or allow bad things would be like me breaking a friend’s arm to show my ability to give him comfort and care for him and then using my money to pay hospital bills to reset the broken bone. People ask, “What about Job?” The response to this question for me have always being, “What about Jesus?”
Job provides the question. Jesus gives the answer. The story of Job is about holding to our faith in the midst of trials and seeing God restore everything brilliantly, but the story of Jesus is the only one I follow. There’s no question that God can turn any situation around for His glory and for our benefit—this, of course, includes the most evil conditions known to humanity around the world. But that is the testimony of His greatness and His redemptive purpose. It does not represent His design.
Jesus reveals absolutely how good God is. “A bruised reed he will not break, a smoking flask he will quench.” Without a shift in thinking, it will be all too easy to misrepresent this magnificent One. We must renew our perception of who or what God is like, and this is easy; Jesus is God explained. We must engrave this on our heart because our understanding of this, will tell how we respond to situations.
Jesus gave us all we needed to know. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10–11). It’s not complicated. Loss, death, and destruction are the things left behind when the devil has had influence in a given situation. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. What does that goodness look like? He gives abundant life.
Prayer and Confession
Lord help me to know you clearly even in midst of pain, to know what you can do and can’t do. Amen!
Further Reading – Hebrews 1:1-3, Colossians 1:15
