Bill Johnson’s A Daily Encounter With The Goodness Of GodSample

The Answer Is Jesus

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

Many Christians think God causes or allows evil to take place so He can display His mercy, but that would be like me breaking my child’s arm to show my ability to give him comfort, and then using my skills to reset the broken bone. People ask me, “What about Job?” My response is, “What about Jesus?”

Job provides the question. Jesus gives the answer. The story of Job is about holding to our faith in the midst of trials and seeing God restore everything brilliantly, but the story of Jesus is the only one I follow. There’s no question that God can turn any situation around for His glory and for our benefit—this, of course, includes the most evil conditions known to humanity around the world. But that is the testimony of His greatness and His redemptive purpose. It does not represent His design.

Jesus gave us all we needed to know. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10–11). It’s not complicated. Loss, death, and destruction are the things left behind when the devil has had influence in a given situation. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. What does that goodness look like? He gives abundant life.

Prayer: Lord, I want to be able to see You even in the midst of pain. You are my answer in the swirl of life’s questions.