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Devotion / The "Good" Word

Devotion / The "Good" Word

Devotions, Blog

Christian writer G. K. Chesterton once observed that you might be called a "good" shot if you could hit a target with your rifle from 500 yards away. But you might not be a "good" person — depending on what that target of yours was.

"Good" is a word used over 600 times from Genesis to Revelation. But page upon page of the Bible proves that, on their own, we human beings cannot do anything good.

A "good" review

God's Word clearly shows that once sin entered the world, humans were incapable of pleasing the Lord by doing good:

  • Ecclesiastes 7:20 (EHV), There is surely not a righteous man on earth who does good and does not sin.

  • Romans 8:8 (EHV), Those who are in the sinful flesh cannot please God.

Discerning good from evil

In fact, sin has so warped our awareness of what is right that it is impossible on our own to discern the difference between good and evil:

  • Mark 7:21,22, [Jesus said, “It is] “out of a person’s heart that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

  • Jeremiah 4:22, My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.

  • Romans 7:19, I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Rescue from our good Lord

Humans, including you and me, are morally broken creatures. We can’t do what God considers good. We don’t want to do what God considers good. We can’t figure out what good is.

But out of his goodness, the Lord created a way for no-good humans to have their lack of goodness washed away. God took the blame for our lack of goodness. Then he filled us with his goodness.

  • John 10:11, [Jesus said,] “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

  • Titus 2:11,14, The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people…. Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, …gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Called to do good

Thanks to the Lord! He has saved us from our goodlessness. His love empowers us to do good. We are eager to do good in response:

  • 3 John 1:11, Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God.

  • Galatians 6:9-10, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, Thank you for bringing God's goodness into our lives. Help us to do the good you have called us to, especially as we share your good news with people everywhere in the world.