The Goodness Of God

In the mid to late 90’s people in the church began to say God is good--- all the time--- all the time---God is good. It’s easy to proclaim and to shout aloud the goodness of God when things are going great!

It’s easy to brag on Jesus when people are coming to know Christ in large numbers. It’s easy to talk about the goodness of God when people are joining the church every Sunday and the baptismal waters are stirred on a weekly basis. It’s easy to proclaim the goodness of God when our finances are doing well and we just got a promotion at work.

But---you know just as I do there are times in our lives when we allow our circumstances to dictate to us how we feel about God’s goodness. I mean, where is the goodness of God when:

*A tornado touches down in your community claiming 9

lives and destroys 100’s of homes and businesses?

*A mother losses her baby after 4 months of pregnancy

*A loved one is seriously injured and is told they’ll never

walk again

*A teenager is killed in a car accident

*You’re are told you have cancer and only have a few

months to live

*A friend turns their back on you and you realize they

weren’t really your friend

Where is the goodness of God when circumstances arise like the ones I just mentioned? The Word of God tells us that---no matter what our circumstances our---God is good!

I want you to take God’s Word and turn with me to James 1:16-18. This morning I want to talk about the goodness of God. As you turn to James 1:16-18---I want to invite you to stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.

Let’s pray---Holy Spirit of God you are our teacher. Father you know the struggles that each and everyone of us face from time to time. Often we begin to question Your goodness. But as we look into your Word and as we look upon Your face may we be reminded of just how good You are and we pray this in Your precious name and all God’s people said AMEN!

You may be seated. Notice with me in vs. 16 of our text---James says, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” That word deceive means to be led astray. James is getting ready to talk to us about the goodness of God but before he does this he issues a warning. He says do not be deceived---do not be led astray. Notice that in the beginning of this chapter James is talking about trials and temptations.

But as he moves from talking about trials and temptations, he reminds us not to let the circumstances---the trials and temptations of this life to cause us to be deceived or led astray or cause us to question God’s goodness.

There are times when you will experience temptation and you may come to God and say-God, if you are good, if you love me, if Your intentions toward me are good then why do I have to keep struggling with this temptation? Why don’t you just take it from me? Why must I keep fighting against this?

The Word of God says, “Do not be deceived”--do not be led astray. Don’t let that temptation fool you into thinking that God is not good.

There will be times in your life when you’ll experience trials and heart break. And you’ll look deep inside of yourself and your heart is broken and you’ll begin to question God. It’s when we focus on our circumstances and allow them to lead us astray that we say things like---you know if you’re good and you love me and Your intentions toward me are good then why am I having to struggle so much and why is my heart broken? How can I possibly find Your goodness and Your hand of blessing in these circumstances?

The Word of God says, do not be deceived. Do not be led astray. Do not let the circumstances you’re in cause you to question the goodness of God! And so as James talks to us about not being deceived, he gives us some reasons that we can know that God is good.

This morning, I want you to notice with me several reasons from this passage of Scripture that God is good. The first reason you can know God is good because God’s gifts are good.