My Good and God's
- Joe Palmisano
- Sep 16
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 4
THEME: Recognizing Whose Journey We're On
In Pastor Dan’s message this past Sunday, he read to us from 2 Timothy: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV), a perfect description of the world in which we live.
At the same time, the Apostle John recorded Jesus’ words to His Disciples just before His death, at the hands of those who fit the description above. He told them: “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:22 NIV)
How can we have joy that cannot be taken away in the world described above, the one we now live in?
I asked myself this question for the past few weeks as I saw so much senseless hate and the murders of two people caught on video. I wondered how I could have joy and celebrate the launch of the new era of our church when the dark clouds were so thick. I was angry, sometimes despondent, and could not see God or His joy through the darkness of my being. I was so far from celebrating. I did not want a cheery jazz band, unless they played only dirges. Maybe you have been there now or at some point in your life. Three things brought me through this suffering and darkness: deep, wrenching prayers, Holy Spirit-led Scripture study and meditation, and Pastor Dan’s message.
After prayer, the Holy Spirit led me to two diverse Bible books, Habakkuk and Romans. This blog may be the longest ever written, and may be a book, but I must tell of this journey. Who knows, it may help one of you also.
Allow me first to paraphrase Chapter 1 of Habakkuk. Habakkuk was a prophet to Israel during a very low time in Israel’s history. The nation was filled with everything Paul named to Timothy in the above passage. Now, Habakkuk was in the pits. Why was he assigned to watch over this, and given the sensitive eyes to see it all? He screams at God, “How long must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore, the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” (Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV) He is deep in it and surely is not seeing any joy.
Finally, God answers and tells him, “Watch me. I am going to do something amazing. Even if I tell you, you will not believe it.” At this point, Habakkuk thinks, “Yes, God is going to shut all of their mouths.” Then God says, “I am in the process of raising a massive army, the Babylonians, and they are going to come down and wipe Israel off the map and haul everyone away.” Habakkuk is shocked, “What? No wait. Are you nuts?” Then he says what many scholars believe is the strongest insult ever given to God, “Lord, are you not from everlasting?” He is saying, “You are not who I thought you were. I thought you were infinite and sovereign.” We will come back to this in a bit.
Next, we will travel to many people’s favorite verse: Romans 8:28. However, I must include verses 29 and 30. This is God’s prescription for joy. You see, the joy that Jesus spoke of was not predicated upon circumstances. It had nothing to do with the world around us. In fact, He promised them that there would be continuous hardships and even death, yet their joy would overcome. Let us look at the second passage I was drawn to.
In Romans 8:28 Paul writes, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV). I usually stop right there, and I bet many of you do. After all, I want to believe that I have special powers in Jesus, and that good is right around the corner when anything bad happens. However, Paul and the Holy Spirit did not intend for that to stand alone. How do I know? Paul’s familiar next word after verse 28; “For”. I never noticed it so strongly before. It was neon. Let’s look together at what for is for. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30 NIV).
First, Paul promises us that “all things work for the good.” So, all things happen to those who are in Jesus—not just good things, as some believe. Bad things happen to us, just like those who deny Jesus. I began to see that I was so upset because I was shocked at evil and bad things when I should have expected them. We also should thank God continually when good things happen, instead of taking them for granted. Then I also saw that I was likely expecting the good things to hang on the bad's tail and appear in a day or a week. I also assumed the good things were what I desired or were even about me. How prideful. So, allow me to paraphrase verses 29 and 30, where the Holy Spirit was leading me. For those God knew would accept His sacrifice, even before time, He fixed and guaranteed to be formed (metamorphosized) into the exact image and essence of Jesus, our firstborn brother. He brought us into Him, forgave and glorified us, all past tense. He ordained it at our repentance and surrender.
We must look at one more thing in the wake of this truth. What is the ‘good’ of which these verses speak? John Newton wrote, “Everything is necessary that God sends. Nothing can be necessary that He withholds.” What is the ultimate good for all of us in Christ Jesus? Is it wealth, notoriety, peace and comfort, or power? Is it freedom from hurt and pain? I do not think so. It is to be formed as much as possible into the essence of Jesus. Newton is saying that God will send everything necessary to form us into the image of Jesus and will not give us those things that are of no help in the process. We must ask, what are we here for now that we are His? Did the Apostles, including Paul, suddenly have comfort, peace, and security? Did Jesus? Why are we surprised? God uses suffering to prune and conform. If being formed is our primary and ultimate desire, we should be joyful. If it is comfort and peace the way the world sees it, we will be miserable, as I allowed myself to be.
Now, back to Habakkuk. What was the good in the Babylonians wiping out Israel and taking all into captivity? Was it for Habakkuk? It did not even make sense to Habakkuk. Israel was hoarding its faith in the one true God and not even worshipping as it should. God knew that He needed to spread the truth of Himself worldwide to prepare the soil for His Son, Jesus. He told Habakkuk, “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5 NIV). It was so good, yet so beyond Habakkuk’s understanding. And He did it, but Habakkuk never saw the good that came from this destruction. God’s goodness has eternal ramifications; our joy comes from knowing that.
Being Life to the world can only happen to the fullest when we learn God’s perspective of what good is, accept it as our own, and finally know the joy that surpasses all understanding. And that joy cannot be clouded with messages about governments, politics, or anything of this world. That from the final spark of life, Pastor Dan’s message. I pray all read this and see.
SCRIPTURE: John 1:1-5 (NIV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
PRAYER:
Lord, how foolish I am to accept the lies of the evil one and believe that I know what you know. Please forgive me for getting lost in the darkness, angry and frustrated. Lord, I know that anger is not necessarily wrong, but anger at you for allowing the things you bring into my life to form me, is prideful and wrong. Lord, thank you for your Word, the Holy Spirit, and my Pastor, in that you have allowed them to teach me lessons I previously did not know or refused to hear. From this day forward, my Lord, may I have the joy that surpasses all understanding, is not bound by circumstances, and withstands all the evil one can bring, because it is all for the ultimate good, being formed in Jesus’ image. What could be better?
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