Many of us understand that the serpent came to Eve in the Garden and tempted her to question God’s Word (Genesis 3:1). However, that was only half of his line of attack. In addition to casting doubt on God’s Word, the serpent called into question God’s character. In essence, he said, “If you do what God forbids you to do—eating the forbidden fruit—you’ll become equal to God. Why do you think He has forbidden you to do it? Because He doesn’t want what’s best for you. He wants to keep the best for Himself.”

            The devil’s tactics haven’t changed. He still attacks us at the points of trying to get us to question God’s Word and His character. As Christians, most of us are on guard against the questioning of God’s Word, but we are often less vigilant about not questioning His character.

            Ever say, “Where was God when such a tragedy took place? Why didn’t He intervene?” Or, “God says He loves me, so why is my life falling apart? He sure has a strange way of showing love.” How about, “I’ve prayed, I’ve pleaded, and I’ve fasted. Why hasn’t God answered?” Finally, haven’t we all said/thought at some time, “Life just isn’t fair”?

            I'll address the last comment first: Absolutely, life is NOT fair! The second half of that equation declares, But God is GOOD—ALL the time! Those aren’t just empty words, folks. God really is good—all the time, regardless of circumstances. Life isn’t fair. It brings disappointments, trials, and tragedies, whether we’re walking with God or not. And sometimes it just plain stinks. But none of those situations changes God’s character one iota! He is good because He’s God, period. Goodness simply does not exist apart from Him, and it cannot be separated from Him. When we get that great truth settled in our mind, the other questions will be settled as well:

            In all the years I’ve walked with God (nearly forty now), I’ve never known Him to be weak, dishonest, unfaithful, late, or wrong. His character has proven to be true, even as has His Word. Beloved, if we want to walk in victory in this life, we must first settle in our hearts that God’s Word AND His character are true and good and changeless. Only then, when the winds of adversity blow (and they will!), can we stand strong and proclaim the Name above all names, the One who walks with us through the fire, and carries us when we have no strength to stand.

God is good—ALL the time! May that be our proclamation today and always!

 

            One of my very first jobs was as a bank teller, where I learned to spot the counterfeit by studying the genuine. That lesson has proven invaluable to me as a believer.

            Satan never tires of trying to deceive the human need for relationship with God by offering us cheap counterfeits, whether through false religions, chemical addictions, unhealthy relationships, or success and power. The only way to recognize and avoid such entrapments is by having intimate knowledge and relationship with the genuine.

            I was reminded of this fact a few days ago when talking with a young woman who considers herself religious and may even call herself a Christian but who reflects no real relationship with Christ in her life. We were discussing some recent events that had complicated her existence and caused her a lot of heartache. In an obvious effort to put on a positive front, she declared, “But it’s all good.”

            Ever hear that comment? It’s quite popular these days, and I believe it is an attempt to hijack one of the most commonly used verses in the Bible while discounting the Author of that verse. Romans 8:28 declares, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” God’s Word tells us that ALL things work together for good, but only “to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Furthermore, Jesus said in Matthew 19:17 that no one is good except God. Only God in us is good; apart from His presence, we have no goodness. Therefore, “it’s all good” is a meaningless and untrue statement. Yet it sounds encouraging, doesn’t it? It’s the world’s way of saying, “I’m going through tough times, but I’ll be fine; it’ll all work out for the good.”

            Really? I don’t think so. Unless the things we’re going through are part of God’s plan for our lives because we love Him and are called for His purpose, “it’s all good” are just empty words. They mean nothing and will produce nothing. Faith in words is foolishness. Faith in God’s Word carries us through to victory.

            The next time you’re tempted to fall into the trap of the counterfeit, stop a moment and reflect on the genuine. Modern-day jargon and popular phrases mean nothing, but God’s Word stands ready to hold you firm until the end.

 

            It isn’t often that such a short phrase of scripture so impacts my heart, but since running across these six words in my reading of Habakkuk earlier this week, I haven’t been able to put them out of my mind.

            Is there anything more tragic than making our own limited strength, or “might,” our god? And yet the Bible tells us that many do. To be honest, nearly everyone who doesn’t depend on God ultimately resorts to depending on his own strength. How foolish can we possibly be? The verses surrounding Habakkuk 1:17 tell of the destruction of those who make such a poor choice.

            Ever been tired? Sick? Discouraged? Weary? Depressed? If so, you know the limits of your own strength. Each time we experience one of those negative emotions or physical conditions, we reach the limits of our own might, the fallacy of our god if indeed we have not placed our faith in Christ. Wisdom calls to us at that point to reach beyond such earthly limitations and grasp the infallible, eternal, omnipotent might of a faithful and limitless God. And that, beloved, is the choice laid before all mankind. Will we wisely rely on the might of the one true God, or foolishly try to stand upon our own feet of clay?

            May the joy of the Lord be your strength today, as you make the right choice each step of the way!

 

We have just come off of the most victorious celebration in all of Christendom—the Resurrection of Christ from the dead. It is the central, pivotal point of our faith, for without it, our faith is vain, ridiculous, and hopeless. Without a risen Savior, our religion is no different than any other, and our eternal future just as bleak.

But if we are truly born again, we know that we know that we KNOW the certainty of Christ’s Resurrection because He now lives within us. As surely (or more so!) as we know we are breathing, we know the Spirit of the risen Lord has taken up residency within our hearts, both as a Guide for how to live here on earth and as an assurance of eternal life when we leave this place.

So why don’t we look forward to that transition from temporal life to eternal with more joy and anticipation? Seriously, if we really believe what we say we believe, that passage into the very presence of God should be the most eagerly awaited event imaginable, one we are continually pressing into with each passing day. But let’s be honest, shall we? Don’t we get so caught up in our earthly life—even and maybe especially the “good” things about it—that we resist the idea of giving it up and moving on to something better?

Personally, I love what I do. I love writing Christian books and blogs and devotionals. I love fellowshipping with other believers, communing with and singing praises to God, basking in His presence, enjoying biblical studies and learning from the written Word—and, of course, spending time with my loved ones. But do I care about those things so much that I give them priority over “graduating” to my eternal destiny with God, foolishly thinking that all those “good” things in this life will be lost when I move on to the next?

My first reaction is to say, Of course not! God is first in my heart and life. But is He? With Easter just past, maybe it’s a good time to check our “heart condition” and find out if loving and serving God really is our first priority, since that’s clearly what the Scriptures point out is our primary calling. If the Lord came for us this very moment, is there anything here in this life that we would regret leaving behind in order to go to be with Him? If so, maybe we need to ask God’s forgiveness for allowing idols into our lives and then lay down those idols RIGHT NOW—rather than waiting until the moment He really does come for us.

Do we actually think our life here is better in any way than what it will be when we are in God’s presence? If so, we haven’t grasped the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:8: “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” May our prayer today be that God will help us understand that great truth so that we no longer have anything here on earth that holds us back from our longing to be with Him….