Measuring Goodness

1 Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Thankfulness is generated from a heart that recognizes the goodness of God. Recognizing the goodness of God is seen through spiritual eyes, not merely through the blessings in this life. It is easy to say "God is good" when something has gone your way, or disaster was avoided. But when tragedy strikes, or pain is present, it takes a heart of faith to acknowledge the eternal goodness of God. Sin is destructive. It's destructive to the one who commits it, and it's destructive to others. There is an epidemic of sinful acts that are committed by billions everyday, sending out shock waves of consequences. Sometimes we are completely responsible for it, and sometimes we are just in the wrong place or around the wrong people. But the reality is that it only takes one sin to be guilty and receive the just wages. Just think about it, Adam and Eve sinned a long time ago, and we are affected and infected by their rebellion. Cancer was no where to be found until man chose to do his own thing. So the creation that God once called "good" is decaying away, and we've already established that we are definitely not good, but our God is good. He is good when the world and we aren't. In spite of our inherent desire to identify God as bad because something bad happened to us, God's goodness isn't measured by happenings. God's goodness is measured by love. A love that endures forever. A love that is faithful even when we aren't (2 Timothy 2:13). A love that looked at a wicked world full of wicked people, and decided to die for us on the cross. When I think about that, I have to give thanks, because He is good.