Good Or God? With John BevereSample

Finding a Better Standard

Yesterday we looked at the story of Eve’s deception in Eden. The enemy turned Eve against her Creator by undermining her perspective on God’s character. This temptation to doubt God’s goodness is by no means unique to Eve. Often I’ve had to fight similar thoughts when I don’t see a prayer answered as quickly as I’d hoped.

This is why James writes what he does in James 1:16–17. He begins his exhortation with a warning about deception. And what does he describe as its antidote? The revelation of God’s goodness. Everything that is good, James says, comes from the God who is always good.

Now, James doesn’t say most good gifts are from God. He says every good and perfect gift comes from God. This means, regardless of appearances, there is nothing good for us outside of God’s will. It doesn’t matter how good or sensible something looks, how happy or successful it makes us, how spiritual it appears, or how accepted it may be. If it is contrary to God’s will, it will bring sorrow to our lives in the end.

If we believe this, then we need a better source for our standard of good. We can’t rely on human wisdom or popular opinion. We need something we can depend on to direct us toward what pleases God. And in the Bible, we have that source.

As Joshua and 2 Timothy tell us, it is in Scripture we find the revelation that leads to what God calls success. Scripture teaches us what is true and shows us what is right so we don’t fall for a counterfeit form of good.

God has revealed His character and His will in His Word, accessible to anyone willing to seek the truth. That’s why I’m so excited you’ve committed to reading the Bible daily as part of this plan. This is not about sharing any man’s wisdom. It’s about connecting you to God and the truth in His Word.

Let’s do a little self-evaluation right now. You’ve made the Bible part of your life, but is it the authority in your decision-making process? Do you turn to it when you face a dilemma? Or could you be missing out on what God has for you because you’ve relied on your own evaluation in these areas? What’s your strategy for giving God’s Word the honor it deserves?