Why its called "Good News" - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Psalm 79:8,

"Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come
quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need."

Israel had turned her back on her God. Although the Lord had sent her
many prophets to warn of his impending judgment if they did not return
to him, they continued in their folly. Never not following through on
what he says he will do, the Lord brought Israel to her knees by
having her ravaged, a truly frightful and horrific judgment. Now,
destroyed as a nation, the remnant calls out to her God for reprieve,
for forgiveness and for retribution against those who vanquished her.

In verse 5 Asaph asks the Lord how long this remnant will continue to
suffer, "How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? How long will
your jealousy burn like fire?" And, in verse 9 he calls out for God's
help, "Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver
us and forgive our sins for your name's sake."

"We are in desperate need." This is the exact position of all mankind.
All mankind has sinned. It doesn't matter if you are the Dalai Lama,
the Pope, Billy Graham or Mother Teresa. We all have sinned and we all
face what Revelation 21:8 describes as "a fiery lake of burning
sulfur." All who have sinned will be cast into this fearful judgment.
"We are in desperate need."

This is why God's invitation to us is good news. We can find escape
from this fiery lake of burning sulfur. And, not just escape from that
but also a place at the Lord's table, a place in his family,
participation in all that Jesus Christ inherits from God the Father.
Forever. No more death, mourning, crying or pain as we pass from this
life into the resurrection into a new paradigm of life we have never
experienced before. An experience that our Creator has always intended
for us. All this for simply embracing him in faith. Jesus said, "I
tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me
has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from
death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear
will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted
the Son to have life in himself."

If you can find a better deal, you better take it. The reality is that
there is nothing else that begins to approach this "good news"!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com