Daily Devotional
Do You Question God’s Goodness?
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Romans 8:18
October 18, 2021
Ponder This
Many people throughout history have questioned God’s goodness by pointing to the existence of sin and evil in the world. They may say, “Why didn’t God just make us where we couldn’t sin?” If God had made us where we couldn’t sin, He could have no more fellowship with me than I could have with an inanimate object. God made us moral creatures. Love is the highest good, and God wants us to love Him. Jesus said, “This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:38 KJV): “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37 KJV).
Love is the highest good, but forced love is a contradiction in terms. Forced love is not love at all. In order to love, we must be free to love and to choose to love. In order to choose to love, we have to be able to choose not to love. And so, God gave us perfect choice. Adam chose in the Garden of Eden, and the sons of Adam after him, to sin. That’s where the brokenness of the world comes from.
- When was a time you questioned God because of the brokenness you saw in the world?
- How are you encouraged or challenged by the truth that God loves us enough to let us choose to love Him or not? How can you relate to this act of love in your own relationships with others?
Practice This
Take time today to think on several reasons that you love God and consider how those things have been revealed to you throughout your life.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
