For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)
How often do you hear people say the Lord caused this earthquake, or He sent that tsunami and killed all those people, or that He is responsible for all the natural disasters the earth experiences?
The impression is clear that most people blame God for all the bad that is happening. Even the insurance companies cover themselves against, what they call, an act of God! I have heard at funerals people say to the bereaved, “God needed your little one with Him”, or “God needed a little angel” so He allowed your little one to die so as to satisfy His need!
When it comes to sickness like cancer, it has been said to those suffering, “God is using this to draw you closer to Him”, or to help you become more holy! This confounds me totally and certainly does not reflect the God of the scriptures!
The impression people have of God is that He is terribly cruel, selfish and has little regard for the suffering of mankind! How little they know of God! It certainly isn’t the God Jesus represented! He healed the sick! He cast out demons! He raised the dead! He healed that dear leper! He calmed the treacherous storm!
These were all acts that Jesus did only because He saw His Father do them! That is God! That is the heart of God! God is good! He is so very good! He is not the One responsible for natural disasters! He is not the One responsible for the sick-plagued planet! He is not responsible for the tragedies that rage around us! God is good! He is so good, so precious, so loving towards mankind, that He sent His Son to die in our place in order to rescue us from ourselves, from sin, from sickness and disease and from the curse!
He is so good, that He has done all He can and could do in order to bring man back to Himself and to give them an inheritance that is far more wonderful and glorious than any inheritance one could ever have on the earth! He is so good that he forgave us of all our sins!
Every sin mankind has ever committed He bore in His own body on the cross! Even the sins of Hitler, Stalin, Genghis Khan! He bore them and forgave them, but tragically it would appear that they never repented and turned to Christ!
He has given man every opportunity to know He exists. In the conscience man knows, or should know what is right and what is wrong. The heavens and all that He created proclaim the existence of a good God! Man is without excuse!
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20) On the cross, Jesus made total and complete provision for mankind. In Him we have redemption.
By His stripes, we are healed! We have been delivered from the curse of the law. God is so good! The next time you feel angry at God or are tempted to blame Him, think for a moment and remind yourself that God is good and that He is never the One responsible for all the pain and suffering on this earth.
He is good and He came to seek and to save those who are lost. His mercy is everlasting and His truth, His word, endures to all generations! You are blessed!