Good Like God

God is good all the time, all the time God is good. Jesus calls us to do good like God out of good stored up in our hearts. 

“When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron…David answered…when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!” 2 Samuel 4:1-11

You live in a very complicated world. We can justify war in the name of peace. We can justify theft if it is to feed the poor like Robin Hood. We can lie to not hurt someone's feelings. This world can easily justify actions based on how the results seem good to us. David did not look at the world in the same way that we can. His one filter was what was done would please God or whether it would not please God. 

Today is a day of reflection and simplicity.  Are my words pleasing to God? Are my actions pleasing to God? Would Jesus say or do what I am saying and doing? Am I doing God's will?

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalms 121:1-8

There are two components to this song of praise. This is called a song of ascent and it is an invitation for us to draw closer to God by raising our sights. The first component is where we look.  Where we look matters. If we narrow our focus to what is happening in our lives and focus on our own needs, our circumstances and pressures can be overwhelming. It is very easy to get off track when your focus is on what you want done or what you need.  

Where is your focus today? Is your focus on lifting your eyes to Jesus? Are you paying attention to Him? Are you asking what He wants done or do you have your own to do list? David had a different approach than we often do. 

David lifted his eyes to his Maker and saw that his Maker always had his eyes on him. Truth tells us that God is always watching and always sees. There is nowhere where you can go where you will be outside of the loving eyes and arms of Jesus. He promises that He is with us and watches over us. Do you believe Him? How can these truths change how we live? 

“To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end even the wicked for a day of disaster. The Lord detests all the proud of heart. They will not go unpunished. Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. How much better to get wisdom than gold, Pride goes before destruction, Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul…There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 16:1-25

Solomon echoes the words of David. He compares and contrasts the ways of the world with the ways of God. He says you can go on with all your planning, but it is God’s purposes that will prevail. He is the one who establishes our steps for all of eternity. He sees our hearts and knows our intentions. So many of us waste our precious time planning and plotting rather than committing and trusting. Do you spend as much time listening to God as you do looking for answers? Solomon says the proper answer comes from God. 

Consider the connection between the story of the two wicked brothers and Solomon’s teaching. They thought what they were doing would please David, but in the end it led to death. Wisdom is inviting us to learn to live according to God’s will. What is God’s will you might ask? God’s will is that love and faithfulness would be our guiding forces.  God’s will is that we would go to Him then speak graciously to others. God’s will is that we would be humble so that His power would be perfected in our weakness. Are there any areas of your life that are out of alignment with love and faithfulness, grace and mercy? Consider pausing and asking God to reveal to you what would be good and pleasing to Him. 

“Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame.” Isaiah 20:5 

What does it mean to you to trust in something?  How do you demonstrate trust? Trust in God is shown as we take the time to listen to God and do what He says. Isaiah said that those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame. He issued a warning that the people would listen. 

This passage might not make a lot of sense to us if we do not understand what it means to trust in Cush. The Cushites were known for their military strength, wealth, and influence. So put another way the same warning applies to us today.  Anyone who puts their trust in power, wealth, or influence apart from God will end up in a place of pain. Is it possible that that same three issues still exist as temptations for where we spend our time and have our focus? Think of how wisdom warns us like Isaiah that there is a way that seems right, but in the end leads to death. 

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath…a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath…the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus …a tree is recognized by its fruit. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him…Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.””

Matthew 12:1-50

Can you see the simplicity by which Jesus decided what was right? Like David, Jesus said whoever does the will of my father is my family.  He said when you are making a decision, do whatever pleases God. Do not get caught up in literal definitions. Rather remember how God works and do whatever is the most loving and faithful action as God does. 

We live in a performance based world with a lot of rules. It is easy to get into judgment mode and appoint one’s self as judge and jury of others. Jesus warns us to take out the plank in our own eyes before we judge other people. He also warns us to not be so focused on technicalities that can lead us away from truly loving others like He did. Is it possible that wanting to be right is harming a relationship in your life? 

The key is to understand what is good as the Bible defines it. The Pharisees wanted to do what is good, which is why they were trying to follow the law, but Jesus made everyone do a double take by giving a new take on how to love like God does. Jesus said the good that you speak and the good that you do comes out of your heart.  So the question is what is stored in your heart? Within the hearts of the Pharisees was a desire to maintain order, keep their power and wealth, so like the evil brothers they plotted to kill. People make plans, but God weighs your heart. 

When God first made all the Earth and the people within it He said it is good. It is as He made it to be. The word good means more than nice or pretty. The word good means to reflect the very essence and character of God. It means that it is working as it is properly intended, full of life, flourishing, wholesome and beneficial. 

Jesus specifically says that a good tree bear is good fruit.  Your life is never just about you but about becoming who you were made to be that you might do whatever God perfectly made you to do. Who are you? What is your identity? Who did God make you to be and how did He make you to bring love to the world? 

We have to keep coming back to these questions to remind ourselves of how to stay in right relationship with God rather than getting prideful and self righteous. When we are unsure of what the next right thing to do might be ask yourself what Jesus would do and then do whatever is the most loving thing you can do in that moment. As Jesus showed us on the cross, it is through love and faithfulness that sin is atoned for and it is by doing God‘s will that we show that we are His.