October 3

Oct 3 - Today from Proverbs 3 we look at verse 27
"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act."

My attention is drawn to the word 'good'. It is such a common word in our vocabulary, yet it is very difficult to properly define. From the pure Biblical perspective, goodness is an attribute of God, and all that is good comes from God. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17). When the rich young man addressed Jesus as 'good Teacher', Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? No one is good - except God alone." (Mark 10:18). When God created, He looked at His work and His Word declares, "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." (Gen. 1:31). When we speak of doing 'good', we speak in the context of God's Word. To do good is to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. What He did was to constantly improve the quality of life for those around Him. His final act of His ministry on earth was to provide the ultimate improvement - and that was the gift of eternal life to all who would receive it.
Who deserves good? A question the Teachers of the Law discussed and debated for centuries. Jesus answered it in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Anyone created in God's image deserves humanitarian treatment. It is inherent. The parable immediately follows the explanation of God's original purpose for man - to worship God and to serve (do good unto), your fellow man. When am I obligated to do good? When it is in my power to act.
When God completed creating He saw that all was very good. When sin entered into His creation, it was no longer good. It was corrupted. He sent His Son to restore it to being very good. It is not yet fully restored, but the 'down payment' is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit. "Now it is God who made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Cor. 5:5). Until all things are restored, we are to be agents of God's goodness in this corrupt world, in the power of His Spirit. It is known as grace. It is our commitment to bring a witness of God's love through Jesus Christ - in word and in deed.
We cannot judge or argue who deserves good. If it were based on human righteousness, none of us would deserve good. We are to do good to all men when it is in our power to act because all men are created in God's image. It's just that some are so marred that it is all but impossible to see the image. I was - until I received the goodness of God's gift through Christ Jesus. Now people need to see God's goodness in me, in hopes that they too will be drawn to Him.
"Lord, give me grace today. Amen."