Do you believe in evil? Do you believe in Satan? Scriptures does mention Satan in the book of Job and, my personal favorite, in Revelation I am told Satan will meet his end in the lake of fire (Revelation 20). If you put “evil” into a word search on your Bible software, it will bring up many, many verses throughout the Bible. But however many references there are to Satan and his evil in Scriptures, there are a “ba-zillion” more about God and His goodness and power over evil and Satan. And that is where we should put our focus.
I was told once that personnel of the U.S. Treasury, the department which oversees our currency, spend the majority their time learning about and recognizing authentic bills and coins instead of the counterfeit. Now that makes sense to me. If I know what the real and the authentic are, then I will also know the counterfeit.
I believe I can apply that also to my beliefs and faith. If I study and spend time with the LORD, learning His characteristics and what He does, then I also have information about what isn’t God.
God is First and Last and Creator of all. God has always been. I can’t really understand what that means. My finite mind cannot fully grasp the infinite. What I do know is that there is no one greater than the LORD. I know Who made me and has known me since I was conceived. And I’ve read the final chapter – and I know Who wins.
God is Good. All that is God is good. Jesus shows the great love the Father has for us, His children. From the beginning God had the plan to provide the necessary, perfect sacrament which would atone for all the sins of His children. Jesus did that and more. He showed us how to live in this world. He began His ministry with showing us the enemy, Satan, and for the next three years He showed us how to make good choices and live attached to Him. Through His inspiration of Paul I am taught about “good fruit” (Galations 5) and good thoughts (Philippians 4). There is so much more as I dig into God’s other inspired teachings.
God loves His children. It doesn’t take long as I read the Bible from front to back to see how God doesn’t give up on His children. Over and over He brings His wayward children back from their self-centered, prideful, sinning ways. (Yes, I definitely include myself in that group!) Jesus’ story of the prodigal son could easily be the thematic story of the entire Bible. God gives to His children more than we could ask or imagine. And when we walk away to our own plan and our own devices, the Father watches for us to stumble back to Him where we are loved.
“I will go home to my father and say, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.’
So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” Luke 15:18-20 (NLT)
My friends, there is great evil in this world. Whether it is in the every day annoyances that suddenly seem to blow out of proportion or an organized group of people who decides to slaughter another group, there is evil. Let us pay attention to our relationship to God. Let us not be side-tracked to focus on the evil and live in fear about where it will come or how it will come. We know how this war between good and evil ends. And we know we are on the winning “team.” For whatever comes our way, it is eternity with our Father and all His other children who have chosen His way that is our Hope and forever glory.
God is Good written by Don Moen & sung by Alvin Slaughter
