Proverbs 2:9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity — every good path.
When God appeared to Moses in the wilderness, why didn’t God show Moses His perfection, righteousness, justice, or holiness? Of all the attributes that God could have shown and demonstrated to him, why did God choose to show Moses His goodness? Ex. 33:19 The LORD replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. The effect of God’s goodness was so brilliantly powerful that Moses’ face had to be covered with a veil. The bright anointing of God’s reflective light was emanating from Moses and was too much for people to look upon. Ex. 34:35 And the Israelites would see that the face of Moses was radiant. So Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
First and foremost, it is the goodness of God that the Lord wants us to seek and know about Him. If we know God is good, then we will believe the love that God has for us. 1John 4:16 And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. The goodness of God will shine through when the Lord’s goodness is manifested in our hearts. Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! This is also why the Lord said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” For those who are in Christ, the same light that emanated from Moses resides in our hearts. How glorious is that?
God knows what is good for us. God’s intention toward us is to bring us closer to God Himself. Through His grace, He makes it possible for us to run to God during times of trouble. It is during these times that we find the goodness of God ready to meet our needs. Heb. 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. When in need of life’s answers, provision, healing or emotional support, we can approach God because His love and grace have been promised to us. The enemy of our soul spends his time trying to distract us from God’s goodness. Why is Satan consistently lying to us, telling us that God does not love us or is not a good God who can be trusted? The very fact that the prince of darkness has to use this strategy, gives us a good hint as to the truth – which is the opposite of his lie. No Saints! We can boldly give thanks to God for the love He has for us at all times. Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.
All sorts of religions and self-righteous sects have people trying to earn God’s love through various works and sacrifices. Yet, it is the love of God and His goodness toward us that draws us to Him so we can repent and be at peace with God. Rom. 2:4b That the goodness of God leads you to repentance? We cannot earn God’s grace. It is a gift from God. How can we earn a gift that has already been given to us? By grace, God is patiently waiting for all to come to Him and be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ the Lord. 2Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
All goodness that is at work in a person’s life is a gift from God. James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. It is difficult for many to trust in the goodness of God because they think there has to be a catch to God loving them. The human condition is corrupt and always thinks there is an unscrupulous hitch with any type of goodness offered to them, even if it is from God. This would be understandable if God was like the manipulative authorities who can be bought or demanding relatives extracting all kinds of terms and conditions for love, cooperation, and inheritance. However, God is not a man that He would lie to anyone or play emotional games with a person’s soul. Jesus came to set us free not bring us into bondage again.
The love and goodness of God towards us are never in doubt. What is in doubt is our reaction toward His love. We are a suspicious race and can easily wonder – why on earth would God love a person like me? Yet, God does love us and that is a holy fact and truth. John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. As we take stock of the blessings in our lives, let us remember all the good things God has done for us throughout our years on this earth. He has been behind the scenes making our paths move straight toward Him and His goodness. Prov. 2:9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity — every good path. When we begin to fully walk in God’s goodness, then we will understand His holy attributes. Father, may your goodness be poured out on this earth. Amen!
All goodness is a gift from God. So true. Thank you.