Experiencing a Good God | Experiencing God Bible Study Series Pt 1 & 2 | Mike Prah
Sep 14, 2022 | by Mike Prah
Experiencing a Good God | Experiencing God Bible Study Series Pt 1 | Mike Prah
EXPERIENCING GOD SERIES KEY VERSE
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7 (NIV)
SUMMARY
Goodness is a core attribute of God Himself. God’s goodness is demonstrated in His Providence, Patience, Protection, and Guidance. Knowing God is good should drive us to turn to Him in times of need. Appreciating and experiencing this should prompt us to follow Him and trust Him every moment of our life!
INTRODUCTION
Our cultural understanding of goodness is thin, and because of this, we tend to overuse it. We say, “good job,” “good book,” “good luck,” good time,” etc. What sets the concept of God’s goodness apart from this? How is it more substantial to say “God is good” than to say anything or that anyone else is good?
1. Goodness Is A Core Quality Of Our LORD
The Bible repeatedly presents goodness as a core quality of our Lord. Goodness is an attribute of God Himself. The verses below teach us about God’s goodness to help us understand and appreciate that God is good!
“Jesus said … No one is good except God alone.” Mark 10:18 (GW)
“Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. 6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:5-6 (NLT)
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
“The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation.” Psalm 145:9 (NLT)
“I will satisfy the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:14 (NKJV)
2. God’s Goodness Is Demonstrated in His Providence, His Patience, His Protection, and His Guidance for His Children
I. God Is Good! He Provides for Us!
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 (NIV)
“Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts … 7 They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 9 The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made.” Psalm 145:3,4,7-9 (NIV)
“The LORD loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” Psalm 33:5 (NKJV)
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
II. God Is Good! He Is Patient With Us!
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation” Psalm 100:4-5 (NLT)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those He redeemed from the hand of the foe … 5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress” Psalm 107:1-2; 5-6 (NIV)
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. 10 Some sat in darkness … 11 because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. … 13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. 14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. 15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” Psalm 107:8-14 (NIV)
“Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities … and drew near the gates of death.19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave.21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind.” Psalm 107:17-21 (NIV)
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:13-14 (NIV)
Jesus: “I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” Matthew 5:44-45 (NIV)
III. God Is Good! He Protects Us!
“The Lord guards you from every evil. The Lord will protect you from all danger; He will keep you safe. 8 The Lord guards you as you come and go, now and forever.” Psalm 121:7-8 (GN+GW)
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:7-8 (NIV)
IV. God Is Good! He Guides Our Path!
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit guide me on a safe path.” Psalm 143:10 (NIV+GN)
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow, and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
- Sometimes the good thing is the “difficult” thing —“the narrow gate, the narrow gateway.” “It is not always the easiest route or the fastest. But, truthfully, it is by far the best, and it is for our own good rather than feeling good.
“When they are old, they will still produce fruit; they will be healthy and fresh. They will say that the Lord is good. He is my Rock, and there is no wrong in Him” Psalm 92:14-15 (NCV)
“Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be His through our union with Christ so that we would be holy and without fault before Him. Because of His love, God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us his children—this was His pleasure and purpose.” (Ephesians 1:4-5 GN)
CONCLUSION
Goodness is a core attribute of God Himself. God’s goodness is demonstrated in His Providence, Patience, Protection, and Guidance. Knowing God is good should drive us to turn to Him in times of need. Appreciating and experiencing this should prompt us to follow Him and trust Him every moment of our life!