Supremely Good

Something is good when it all fits together. When all the parts join forces for the purpose for which it was created. The Bible is built on a foundation that includes the statement that God looked at the creation and said, “It is supremely good!” I suggest that the verse, “God saw everything he made and it was supremely good” is foundational to the message of the entire Bible because of the positive affirmation it makes about the creation – and not just parts of the creation like the mountains of North Carolina, but the whole thing. It is all good. It’s the beautiful stage on which the great drama of life is performed. If I were to ask a group of people to list the good and bad types of weather or geological events, I’m sure the list of good things would include: rain (but not too much at one time); snow (but not too much at one time); sunshine; and cool breezes on a summer day. I’m not sure any geological events like hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hail storms, lightning storms, sub-freezing temperatures, or floods would make the “good list.” We categorize things as good or bad by how they affect us. To me, cooked broccoli is not good. Deep snow is (I’m from Miami.) You might think otherwise. You would likely have a hard time finding anyone in New Orleans, or Puerto Rico who would say a good thing about hurricanes. Or anyone along the Mississippi River who would be thankful for floods. Or folks in the Midwest who would praise Tornadoes. But these are all parts of the creation that God looked at and said, “This is supremely good!” If that statement is not true, then we live in a dangerous world. A world that cannot be trusted, and the rest of the Bible is shrouded in a dark cloud of fear. However, it is the truth of that statement that distinguishes the Judeo-Christian faith from most of the other religious expressions of the ancient world. And that is what makes it foundational.