Good News
by Chris Simmons
In such distressing times as we live in now, we often think about the need for good news. With wisdom from God, Solomon wrote in Proverbs 25:24, “Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land.” Again, in Proverbs 15:30 Solomon wrote, “Bright eyes gladden the heart; good news puts fat on the bones.” Good news Sindeed edifies and strengthens us.
For example, the apostle Paul expressed the joy upon receiving good news following his first letter to the Corinthians, in II Corinthians 7:5-7 when Titus came and “reported” (i.e., shared the good news) the “comfort” he received in Corinth and their “longing … mourning … (and) zeal” for Paul.
I’m sure that Paul enjoyed good news of a temporal nature but his true joy came from good spiritual news. One of the lessons we need to learn in the midst of trying times is to also focus on the spiritual. We again read the words of Paul in I Thessalonians 3:6-8, how Timothy had “come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love” and that “for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” John wrote of this in III John 3-4 when he spoke of “no greater joy than this” to hear the news of “brethren” who “are walking in the truth.” It’s been such good news during these difficult days to hear from, and study with, brethren who used to worship with us and find out that they are still walking in the truth.
The fact of the matter is we have to deal with both good and bad news, for both will come (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:1-10). We need to learn to deal appropriately with bad news. Will we be like King David, who upon hearing the bad news of the death of his son Absalom (II Samuel 18:19ff), needed to be reproved by Joab for failing to encourage and strengthen his fellow Israelites (II Samuel 19:5-7) who fought for him? Will we allow the bad news we face today to distract us from our duties to God and to our fellow brethren? Or will we be like:
- Job in Job 1:20-22, who after a day of horrible news, responded by worshipping and blessing God?
- Nehemiah who heard bad news (Nehemiah 1:1-3) about his Jewish brethren and the city of Jerusalem and responded by first praying to God (verses 4-11) and then resolving to go join his brethren (chapter 2) in getting to work rebuilding the walls (2:17-18)?
- Esther and her uncle Mordecai who heard the bad news that Haman had plotted to annihilate the Jews and resolved not to “remain silent” (4:13) but to risk their lives and speak up for the truth?
It would have been easier for Job to turn his back on God, for Nehemiah to complain about his brethren or Mordecai and Esther to simply throw up their hands in defeat and claim there was nothing they could do. How will we choose to respond?
I find it very interesting that we can read in God’s word of those who actually heard the exact same news and chose to alternately view it as both bad and good. I’m speaking of the news the Israelites heard in Numbers 13:25-29 from the twelve spies sent to view the Promised Land God had sworn to give them. After hearing the news of the prosperity of the land and the inhabitants living there, ten of the spies concluded that what they heard was a “bad report” (verse 32). As Joshua and Caleb listened to the same report, they heard it as good news (14:8-9) as they had faith that God “will bring us into this land and give it to us” because “the Lord is with us.” We need to listen to news today with such faith in God that He yet reigns in heaven today!
Finally, we need to remember our responsibility to share good news. The good news Solomon spoke of in Proverbs 25:25 requires someone to make the effort to share it. God spoke to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3 and promised him good news to come in that “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 61:1-3) of God’s anointed who would “… bring good news to the afflicted … bind up the brokenhearted … (and) proclaim liberty to captives.” This is the “good news” referred to in Luke 2:10-11 when an angel of God spoke to the shepherds about a Savior being born. This good news of salvation was proclaimed in Acts 2:38 on the day of Pentecost when they were told, after being “pierced to the heart,” to “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” This same message of good news continued to be spread as Luke records the words of Paul in Acts 13:32-34, “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus.” We’re to be reminded that the word “gospel” simply means glad tidings or good news. The church in Ephesus had been built on the gospel of salvation in Christ (Ephesians 1:13). The gospel alone is God’s power to save man (Romans 1:16). We need to feel as compelled to share the good news as Paul was (Romans 1:14-16; I Corinthians 9:16). We need to remember the lesson of the four starving lepers in II Kings chapter 7, who found the camp of the Arameans deserted, with all of their provisions left behind and began to hoard the riches for themselves. However, in verse 9 we read, “Then they said to one another, ‘We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.” We always have good news that needs to be told – “let us go and tell” it.
Even in the midst of this pandemic, and economic and social turmoil, there is good news that we need to share that the world desperately needs! There is a healing that’s possible that’s even better news than a vaccine for COVID-19. There are spiritual riches available to all in Christ that is better news than any economic news possibly could be. The forgiveness proclaimed through the gospel is better news than any social reform could possibly bring about.
David wrote in Psalms 103:1-5, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” In the midst of adversity, let us remember good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to pardon, heal, redeem, crown, and satisfy.
The best news of all is that the best is yet to come (II Corinthians 4:16-5:10; I Corinthians 15:50-57; I Thessalonians 4:13-18) when the faithful in Christ will no longer ever have to face any more bad news (Revelation 21:4).