The Lord Is Good 8-24-25 AM

I.            This reveals the personality of God – He is good.

a.      Some have the view that God is looking down trying to find those He can cast into hell.

           i.      There is this idea that God is some kind of sadistic dictator with a great desire to punish us.

           ii.      God is just out to keep us penned in and if we break out at all He just wants to crush us.

b.      Come have the view that God is in heaven and doesn’t take an interest in what is going on down on His creation.

           i.      This is the view of deism.

           ii.      God started things up and is sitting back watching what takes place with amusement.

c.      In the beginning, everything God created is described as good (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).

           i.      Every part of God’s creation speaks of His goodness.

           ii.      All things were created for our benefit.

           iii.      Even today, when we look at the beauty of what God created, we see His goodness.

           iv.      It was man that messed things up by giving in to temptation and sinning.

d.      Every act of God since that time has been good.

           i.      He destroyed the world because it had gotten so bad during the days of Noah.

           ii.      He chose to bless all the nations through Abraham’s seed.

           iii.      Everything God did was aimed for the good of man.

e.      When we look at the cross, the goodness of God should cry out to us.

           i.      This is truly the greatest evidence of the goodness of God.

           ii.      Rom. 11:22.

f.        When we look at these things and see the personality of God, they all cry out that the God we serve is a God of goodness.

II.            This reveals the protection of God – a stronghold in the day of trouble.

a.      Nineveh considered itself to be a stronghold.

           i.      The walls of Nineveh were 100 feet tall and wide enough for three chariots to ride side by side.

           ii.      It was surrounded by a moat that was 60 feet deep.

           iii.      It was estimated that Nineveh could have withstood a 20 year siege.

b.      Nineveh fell when the Euphrates River overflowed and washed away some of the wall, leaving a gap that the Babylonian-led army could enter.

c.       It used to be that America was viewed as a place of protection for those fleeing from persecution.

d.      The only true refuge of strength and protection is God.

e.      Notice how the Psalmist put it:

           i.      Ps. 31:2-3.

           ii.      Ps. 71:3.

           iii.      Ps. 91:2.

f.        Only in God is there protection.

           i.      John 10:27-30.

           ii.      When God has us, there is nothing that others can do to us that jeopardizes our spiritual safety.

           iii.      We can cast our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Pe. 5:8).

g.      We seek out protection and seek to protect ourselves and families from all manner of things and people.

h.      The only truly perfect place of protection is in God.

III.            This reveals the presence of God – He knows them that trust in Him.

a.      The word translated “knows” means more than just mere intellectual knowledge.

           i.      It indicates an intimate knowledge gained only from being in the presence of that person.

           ii.      It is used by David in 2 Sam. 7:20, after God has said that David’s throne would always have someone on it.

           iii.      God intimately knew David because of the time David spent seeking God.

           iv.      David truly trusted in God and God knew Him.

b.      I’ve often seen interviews where an athlete or some lesser known talent is asked, “Who is the most famous person in your contacts.”

           i.      They would name someone very well known.

           ii.      It was made to be some big deal that this person is known by some big star of Hollywood or the sports world.

c.       What a great privilege it is to say that God knows us.

           i.      2 Tim. 2:19.

           ii.      He knows us so well that He knows the number of hairs on our heads (Lu. 12:7).

d.      He knows us in this way because we have come to trust in Him.

           i.      God has shown Himself to be trustworthy by keeping every promise He has ever made.

           ii.      Our trust in God is never misplaced.

e.      Notice what Paul said about His trust in God in difficult times (2 Cor. 1:9).

           i.      He knew men, including himself, are not fully trustworthy.

           ii.      He placed his trust in the one who is completely trustworthy.

f.        We can trust God with our salvation (1 Tim. 4:10).

g.      We show our trust in God when we obey His word and let His word be the guide for our lives.

           i.      We are taking Him at His word that He will save us, because He said He will.

ii. He is also the God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2).