Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100:5 NLT
The biggest lie exposed
THE BIGGEST and most widespread lie put about by Satan, the accuser and the arch-enemy of God Almighty, is that God is not good. And cannot be trusted.
You may not be aware of entertaining Satan and his army of rebel dark angel — or demons. The cartoon picture of a dragon-like creature is just that — a cartoon. And the battle is real enough, but most it goes on in our thoughts. If we think something horrible — a critical opinion, doubt, a fear, a desire to hurt someone else or take revenge in another way — we generally think that evil thought is coming from within us. But that thought was easily introduced by Satan, and getting us to own it, is a masterstroke because when we face up to it, it isn’t true to ourselves, it isn’t worthy and we feel guilty.
Many of us have been deceived, at some time, into doubting God’s innate goodness. All of us have asked where a world-wide pandemic and all the misery associated with it has come from. Is this an awful
judgment by God for our disobedience?
Well, it is true that God is our ultimate judge and His standard of holiness is exacting. But that is also turns into our encouragement, because heaven is neither a mixed economy, nor a democracy of competing viewpoints, nor a behind-the-scenes power struggle. That would be defining heaven in terms of what we know, making it a bigger version of our world. Heaven is different — holy, which means separated and completely ‘other’ in a pure and perfect way.
There is no disease in heaven with which to afflict the world. There is no hardship to mete out and no injustice to apply. God cannot send these things because they are not there to send, and because it would be completely against His nature of love and forgiveness and faithfulness. And you might notice that the infection doesn’t seem to be selective about who it strikes — Sir Tom Moore, the 100-year-old army veteran who was recognised by a grateful nation for the hope he inspired, has sadly passed away, one of its latest victims.
It is the counterfeit that possesses these afflictions and can stir up hatred and resentment as part of the package. When people selfishly avoid precautions and organise gatherings or ignore rules designed to protect others, where does it come from? Those that don’t know God, or who have rejected God, will be under a veil of darkness with their doubts. We all started there. But let faith rise as we reflect on these words of truth — helpfully given a more interpretative translation in The Passion Translation:
For the Lord is always good and ready to receive you. He’s so loving that it will amaze you — so kind that it will astound you! And He is famous for His faithfulness toward all. Everyone knows our God can be trusted, for He keeps His promises to every generation!
Psalm 100:5 TPT
If we know that God, our Father, can be trusted — yes, even with our lives, because Jesus gave His life for us, then that’s all the reason we need to trust God’s solution and stop trying to create our own:
Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on Him to guide you, and He will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with Him in whatever you do, and He will lead you wherever you go.
Proverbs 3:5-6 TPT
Prayer
O God, in my doubts and uncertainties — not knowing whether You are there to hear me — I approach you because You are kind and faithful towards all.
I may not be ‘religious’ and I acknowledge that I have lived too much of my life, my way. But I am turning to You in these desperate times.
If it is true that “everyone knows that our God can be trusted, for He keeps His promises to every generation”, I dare to ask You to accept me and hear my prayer.
In Your kindness I humbly ask for Your protection of my family, my friends, my neighbourhood and beyond.
I have heard that Jesus, Your Son, is my way to know You, and to know Your love and this faithfulness You are famous for.
I would like that, and so I pray this through Jesus. Amen.
• For a further reflection and prayer on these verses, see this post on www.believethegoodnews.com
Leave a Reply