Dear Ones:
How little, and clouded, is our vision of the goodness of God. It is very difficult for us who look towards heaven “…through a glass darkly,” to perceive the greatness of the goodness of God. And yet, when the Lord created the world, all that He did was declared to be good…even “very good.” What we see here is the unblemished grandeur of the glory of God, and specifically as it pertains to His goodness. Nothing was created that was not good.
If we fast-forward to our day, we are almost slapped in the face by the revelation of all that is NOT good. The context in which we live is not of the Garden of Eden, but sometimes borderline Sodom and Gomorrah. Because of the curse upon creation (Gen. 3:17, Romans 8:22), and specifically, the manifest results and consequences of sin (…man going his own way…Is. 53:6), most of what we see, and are occupied with, is tainted with the effects of sin. We have a difficult time in seeing the “good.” It is at this point, in this context of our blindness to the greatness, glory, and goodness of God, that the Father interjected the Son into this creation. The God of Goodness, who manifested that goodness in the creation, sends the Son of His goodness, “…the express image of His person..(Heb. 1:2), into this darkness to again reveal to us what true goodness is. The God of Creation spoke His goodness into existence. The God of Redemption spoke the Living Word into existence, our existence, to bring us back to a true concept and apprehension of His goodness. All that Christ was, was good, for God alone is good. All that He did was good, for He went about doing only that which was good. But, even in knowing this blessed reality, we are faced with the need of KNOWING His goodness in our existence, our lives, and believing Him to reveal that goodness to others. How can it be?
It was J. Hart who wrote the following: “How good is the God we adore, our faithful unchangeable Friend; His love is as great as His power. And knows neither measure or end. ‘Tis Jesus the first and the last, whose Spirit shall guide us safe home; We’ll praise Him for all that is past, We’ll trust Him for all that is to come.” How do we KNOW this goodness of God? The answer begins with the worship of Him who is good!! It is as we worship Christ in the Spirit, according to the truth of His word, that He becomes a reality to us. God’s way is first and foremost “…in the sanctuary.” (Ps. 77:13) Paul writes to the Corinthians, “But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, ARE CHANGED into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor. 3:18) This is the same Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters at creation, and brought about the revelation of the great goodness of God in creation!! Changed by beholding…Christ.
Dear Father, make us true worshippers of Christ, by the Spirit and in truth. Cleanse our hearts and minds thoroughly, and fill us afresh with Thy Spirit, so that we may behold the Son, full of thy goodness. Fill us with this goodness from on high, and may others in this “darkness” see Thee, and be drawn to Thee. Blessed God of goodness, this day, fill us with Thyself. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Love, Dad