God iS Good

Series: God is Good

Scripture: Psalm 145:9

When people find out I am a Spiritual Director or that I have a Master of Divinity degree from Seminary the often tell me their experience with God. I like that. It’s a good way to get to know someone.

They don’t usually say they don’t like God. Instead, they often say God doesn’t like me and that’s kind of a telling statement.

It’s the kind of statement that leads me to ask, “Why do you think God doesn’t like you?”

Generally, they say something like he doesn’t hear my prayers or he doesn’t answer my prayers. Or they say “Well, I can’t even tell of God’s listening to me.”

For a spiritual Director, all of those statements are open ended and make a good starting point between myself and the directee.

I love Psalm 145:9 because if they grew up in church or they’ve had any contact with a church they know something about scripture.

Psalm 145:9 tells us, “The Lord is good to all,    and his mercy is over all that he has made.”

So my response to them would start with Psalm 145:9 the Lord is good to all which means God hasn’t singled them out. God is not ignoring them. God knows their name.

In addition to that, God does not love people less who don’t go to church.

God does not love people more who go to church.

The Lord is good to all.

God gives mercy to all.

God’s love and mercy is over all of creation. That includes them.

Once we’ve cleared that up, we can begin to talk about their experience with church, which is a completely different matter than their experience with God.

People often think church is God and God is church.

In other words, they don’t separate God from the church.

I have a problem with that because scripture does not say God loves people who go to church more than he loves people who don’t go to church.

Don’t get me wrong I’m a big fan of church and I think it’s a great way for like-minded Christians to meet together. But going to church does not save us.

Having a personal relationship with God saves us. Scripture does not say anything about having a personal relationship with church so we will be saved.

Knowing and loving God/Jesus-God, is what saves us.

I am surprised by the number of people who believe going to church, is what saves them.

I am shocked, but in a world where information is open and available many people don’t know what salvation is really about.

Salvation is saying to God Jesus, I believe in you and I am not perfect…I have done things I’m not proud of. Will you forgive me?

Salvation doesn’t come from joining a church.

Salvation comes because we confess and Jesus forgives.

Going to church is a great way to spend time with like-minded people who love God but once again going to church does not save us. (I know I repeated it).

Remember the scripture God is good to all.

God’s mercy is over all.

God is good.

God’s mercy IS over all.

His mercy endures forever.

Deborah

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