I BELIEVE • DEVOTIONAL: A 14 Day Devotional With Phil WickhamУзорак

# ISN'T HE GOOD The Hebrew word for “good” is “ Tov ” (pronounced “ tove ”). This simple word is packed with significance and is used hundreds of times throughout the Old Testament. On the very first page of the Bible, we see this concept introduced when God pronounces a blessing over His creation seven times. He declares everything “ Tov ” at the end of each poetic refrain. The only break from this pattern was after He created humanity in His image. Looking over Adam and Eve, instead of just saying this is “ Tov ,” He said this is “ Tov Tov .” This double use of the word is a Jewish way to say this is “VERY GOOD!” Humanity is His crown jewel in all of creation! Not only was God the one who pronounced goodness over His creation, but He was also the one who defined for Adam and Eve what was good and what was not. When sin enters the story in Genesis 3, it arrives because the first humans stopped trusting God’s definition of good and evil. Instead, they attempted to define it on their own terms. All of humanity has followed this pattern, including you and me. What’s important to remember is that God gets to define what is “good” because He is the very essence of the word! In Mark 10:18 (NIV), Jesus himself comments on this when He is confronted with a religious question and responds, “No one is good—except God alone.” Jesus deflects the compliment and draws the listener’s attention to the goodness of His Father! This song is a declaration of the truth that has been woven throughout the entire biblical story that God is GOOD! What He creates and how He orders His creation is GOOD! And, by His grace, He sustains and finishes what is GOOD! Consider how the apostle Paul writes, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a GOOD work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6 ESV). The truth is, we live in a time in history when there is a constant war that’s raging about the definition of what is true, beautiful, and good. When the pressure of the cultural voices around us feels disorienting and discouraging, remember that… > God is the epitome of good! > What He creates is good! > How He has ordered His creation is good! > And what He is moving His creation toward is wrapped up in His good and redemptive plan! This is why the refrain at the end of this chorus is more than a question… it is a call to action! May we boldly declare that God and God alone is worthy of our praise. He is good! He is great! He is faithful! And He is forever and always worthy! #### Key Questions: #### 1\. What good things has God done in your life? How have you seen His faithful hand at work? #### 2\. In what areas of your life can you trust that God has good plans and that the good things He began, He will carry to completion? #### 3\. What can it look like this week to direct great passion and devotion toward declaring the goodness of our God?