God's Goodness - The beginning of security
Robin Weidner, July 2007

When Satan came to Eve in the garden, he went right after the heart of her relationship with her Father - God's goodness. Why? He wanted her to think that there was something missing that she really needed. In fact, God was outright holding out on her: "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:5

In this temptation of the ages, Satan told Eve that there were three things she was missing:
    1) Knowledge of good - There are some good things that you need and deserve that you don't have yet.
    2) Knowledge of evil - Imagine how successful and attractive you'll be if you are wise in the ways of the world.
    3) Being like God - To have a good life you need to be perfect like God.
Is God good to you?

By getting Eve to feel like she was missing out, he enticed her to bite into a fairy-tale–that she could be secure through such false securities as control, performance, perfectionism, romance, success and worldiness.

How can you trust a God who is denying you? What else is he holding back from you, Eve?

Soon, Satan had her hiding in the bushes, afraid to come to her Father. With a note of Fatherly sadness, God told her that by trading away her security in Him, her desire for security from man would now be so great that it would rule over her. (Genesis 3:16)

Will I be successful?

Just recently after having a big month with lots of travel, my business was unnaturally slow. Clients that I usually hear from often were suddenly missing. Although I knew that God was likely protecting me (I was exhausted!), Satan was quick to attack as well:

Look what you're missing by giving so much time to this ministry. Your clients will probably find someone else.

But once that seed was planted, other disappointments began to loom larger. My old insecurities of performance and perfectionism came knocking at the door. If I just were more spiritual, more faithful, more competent, more bold· if I were just less distracted, less fearful, less human· perhaps then I could reclaim my place in the center of God's goodness.

Surrounded by God's goodness

When I allow Satan to wiggle into my thinking about God's goodness, I begin to lose hope - the very thing that God promises me as a result of trials and disappointments. (Romans 5:1-5)

But when I choose to trust that I'm right in the middle of God's goodness today, even in all my imperfections and unfulfilled longings, I go from an insecure heart to a heart totally at rest in the presence of my Father. In my mind, that is the most amazing of graces.

Trusting God's goodness is the beginning of security of heart.



Read:
Genesis 3, Romans 8:28-39, Psalm 145:7

Ask yourself:
How do I measure God's goodness? What unfulfilled desires does Satan use to try to convince me that God isn't as good to me as he is to others?

Listen to God's voice:

Read this chart contrasting Satan's whispers and the Bible on God's goodness. Which of Satan's whispers are you most susceptible to?

Meditate:
Meditate on the ways God surrounds you with his abundant goodness. After each example that comes to mind say, "Thank you God for surrounding me with your goodness."

For a deeper discussion of God's goodness, see Chapter 5 of Secure in Heart.



For more articles, check out the Cup of Security Archives.
 

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