Essays
The Goodness of God
THE GOODNESS OF GOD
The goodness of God is not predicated upon how we feel about a particular happening. GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD - - it is who He is. As David declares in the psalms: Good and upright is the Lord (Ps.25:8) and Taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps.34:8). It is disconcerting to listen in when people question the goodness of God, blaming Him for the unfolding of wicked deeds brought on by sinful men. Adversities, big or small, often evoke that hackneyed sigh: If God is so good why does He let bad things happen? God has granted mankind the gift of free will. As human beings we are free moral agents - - meaning that we have the option of choosing our own paths. We are neither automatons nor robots. Just recently, a jet-liner was blown out of the sky by a terrorist regime becoming an incendiary death-sentence for the 176 souls on board. This was not God’s do-ing! Why do so many hasten to point an accusatory finger at God when tragedies strike? It is true that God is the creator of natural laws. If one drives an vehicle into a stout tree at a high rate of speed (whether intoxicated or not), dismemberment and/or death likely ensues. But these very same laws are what make it possible to enjoy life on planet earth. Imagine the chaos and catastrophe that would plague a world without gravity.
We are fallen creatures. Weeds grow, diseases flourish, malevolence happens. What we really seek is an answer to why our almighty God
allows certain sad events to intersect or invade our lives. Paul reminds us, How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable are His ways! (Rom.11:33). When bad things come our way, the question is not, "From whence?", but rather, “Will we affirm our faith as did Job of old?".
The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD?” (Job.1:21).
Terry Siverd / Cortland Church of Christ
