My Words Do Good

All of us will struggle beneath the strictness of God’s Word—His hand of holiness can be heavy, and left to ourselves, we would despise it without question. But see here what it is we hate—uprightness itself.

In today’s age we like to imagine that we are lovers of good—but God says here that those who love good are one with His Word. That His waves and billows are only against those that are in sin and evil. Look here and see that God is One who is just, and that we ourselves are the ones who are in the wrong. Look here and see that God’s Word does good to those who are upright—therefore if it wounds us, it wounds us because we are sinners.

God’s Word is a threat and a terror to all that is evil in this world, but is only a threat to those who cleave to their sins—people who do not truly walk in what is good and right. If God’s Word is something we despise and reject then it is this very response itself that testified against us of our sin. “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” (Gen 4:7) God’s Word does good to those who are upright, who repent and trust in His Son and walk in obedience to God’s Word—the person who is truly willing to be rid of sin and walk in righteousness. For this alone is what is good and right.

The problem does not lie with the Word of God, the issue for most people is that they don’t want to be called to the light, or at least, not fully. That is the truth that God reveals to us by His Word: “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19-21)

The truth is that God’s Word is against those who do evil, therefore those who continue in sin and rebellion against God hate His Word. But His Word does good to those who fear Him, to those who repent at His Word and believe in His Son as commanded (John 3:16). To those who take refuge in God, who truly obey God, His Word is towards them for good.

Deuteronomy 28:1-2: “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 28:15: “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.”