The Goodness Of God

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Rewarder - "one who pays wages" (misthos, "wages," apo, "back," didomi, "to give"), is used by metonymy in Heb. 11:6, of God, as the "Rewarder" of those who "seek after Him"

Ask any Christian if they believe that God is good and they would certainly say, well of course. But believing that He is good is not the only requirement in pleasing Him. The Word we just read goes on to say, we must also believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. This sounds like an admonishment to me. So many Christians don’t believe He is a rewarder in the here and now, it’s always in the future, or when they get to Heaven. When we understand what the Word of God has to say about this, we will come to the place where we can believe that He is a rewarder here and now.

Pleasing Him requires that we believe not only in Him, but in also in His willingness to reward those who seek after Him or as the Amplified Bible says, those who seek Him out.

A great many Christians don’t believe God is a rewarder here and now. Yes, they believe their sins are forgiven and they are going to Heaven, but that is about as far as it goes in many cases. Christians will often say God is certainly able to help them, but when it comes down to it, they don’t believe He is willing to show His goodness towards them personally. Often times they are willing to say He blesses others, but have a hard time believing He is actually willing to bless them. God is absolutely consistent in not only His ability to bless but in His willingness to bless. He is no respecter of persons. What ever He is willing to do for me, He is just as willing to do for you and visa versa. Aren’t you glad?

Jesus said In Marks Gospel ...

Mark 10:29 So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30. "who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and in the age to come, eternal life.

Jesus said in Luke’s Gospel…

Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

The word Gospel simply means, good news.

Jesus preached good news to the poor. Does God want us broke down and begging? Then what is the significance of preaching to the poor, what is the significance of preaching to the sick, what is the significance of preaching to the lost? What is good news to someone who is poor, or lost, or who is sick? Do these people all have the same needs? No they don’t, but there is good news. We have been redeemed from all of these things if we will but receive them. Glory to God!.

I’ve talked to many Christians who believe God is trying to teach them something through these things. Is this how goodness acts? Not by any definition I know of.

The Bible says that Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. This was God’s will in the flesh. Sickness is oppression from the evil one. God does not use oppression of the devil to teach His children. He redeemed us at a great price so we wouldn’t have to be oppressed, that’s the Good News. Why would He go to such great lengths to redeem us from these things and then turn around and oppress us to teach us something. That makes no sense. I’ve learned He teaches us by His Word and by revelation of the Holy Spirit. He will lead us and guide us into all truth. He doesn’t need the devil to teach His children. Who would want to seek after a God that as soon as they found Him caused them to become sick or poverty stricken to teach them something. That certainly doesn’t sound like very good news to me, does it you? Is this how you would act toward your children? God loves us much more than we can understand. He wants the best for us. He went to great lengths to give us His best, The least we could do is try to learn what His best is, and then begin to learn how to walk in it. Sometimes we need to get to the place where we can shake off our preconceived ideas, before we can walk in the truth.