October 12 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 2:1–10

Devotional

At the end of the day hellish fears will not lead a person to repentance, but the goodness of God will. Certainly it is possible that when one sees eternal punishment approaching, a change can take place in life, but genuine repentance will only be established when one sees the goodness of God. It is in the realization of God’s goodness that man will not only be fearful for punishment, but more than that, he will find himself worthy of hell.

It is a true Thanksgiving Day when miraculously the Lord does not cease to do good to a man who never stops sinning. We see the goodness of God in light of our wickedness. When our eyes are opened to this we will be bruised, broken, and undone. When we see the great goodness of God our eyes are opened to the great evil in us. Then shame is experienced before God and at the same time there will be such strong love for God that we will speak well of Him, even if we have to perish.

Seeing the goodness of God will lead a person to have more than fear for punishment. He will recognize that he is worthy of punishment. Then repentance follows. While he is conscious of God’s goodness, he cannot continue with his old life. God’s goodness becomes too strong for man to ignore. He has to succumb to God’s goodness. In true repentance he becomes so small and unworthy before the God of mercy.

May God grant that Thanksgiving Day will be for us a day of repentance because of all the undeserved loving-kindness of God. May it be a day of repentance, be it a first repentance or a renewed repentance. Add up all your blessings. Count all your sins. Is there not from your side a high mountain of guilt beside a high mountain of the goodness of the Lord? Did God not daily come after you with blessings of His mercy? What has God done for you other than that which is good?

How is it possible that you can resist while you receive so much care from heaven? You have become so hardened that you resist even the tender mercies of God. That is because you still think you are entitled to these blessings. That leads to ungratefulness. You can never have a true Thanksgiving Day unless you end up having no rights left before God. Take note of your way. Recognize what you have deserved and what you, in spite of that, have received. Let your terrible ungratefulness become sin to you, for then you will experience true thanksgiving. Then the blessings will unite you to the Benefactor. You will stand in between the blessings and the Benefactor as an unworthy one. But then God is acknowledged, and that sacrifice is pleasing in His sight.

Even adversities belong to the goodness of God. The psalmist says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted” (Ps. 119:71). Man has Thanksgiving days even under his cross. All God gives He intends to be for the well-being of the sinner, be it prosperity or adversity, for they all are callings to be saved. A sacrifice of thanksgiving is good, but to realize God’s goodness is better than sacrifice.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.