God Is Light, Not Darkness
After talking with a friend this week, I was reminded how many people truly believe that God is a punisher. Outside of His unfailing love and grace, they see Him as sitting on His throne, shaking His finger in shame, waiting for us to mess up. But this is a lie that must be uprooted from the hearts of people.
What You Believe About God Matters
To believe and accept God as someone He is not is dangerous. Many people carry beliefs about God that did not come from Scripture. Some learned them through painful experiences. Others picked them up from family, culture, disappointment, or even bad teaching. The problem is that when we believe something untrue about God, it affects how we relate to Him.
If a person believes God is angry with them, they may avoid Him. If they believe He cannot be trusted, they will struggle to surrender. If they see Him as distant and uninterested, they may stop seeking Him altogether. What we believe about God’s character influences every part of our walk with Him.
This is one reason Scripture places such importance on knowing God accurately. In Job 42:7 (NLT), God rebuked Job’s friends, saying, “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me as my servant Job has.” Notice that God did not simply correct their facts. He corrected the way they represented Him. Although they spoke with confidence, what they said about God’s character was wrong.
That should cause all of us to pause. It is possible to talk about God and still misunderstand Him. It is possible to repeat religious ideas that sound spiritual but do not accurately reflect who He is. When that happens, people can end up fearing the One they should trust, questioning the One who is faithful, or blaming God for things He never did.
God’s Nature Revealed in Scripture
1 John 1:5 reminds us, “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” When I shared this with my friend, his next question was, “Then why do bad things happen to good people?”
Many people assume that whenever something painful happens, God must be behind it. They immediately wonder what they did wrong or whether God is trying to get even with them. But that’s not the picture Scripture paints of our Heavenly Father.
Jesus said in Mark 10:18, “Only God is truly good.” That’s a humbling reminder that we don’t get to define goodness according to our own standards. Scripture teaches that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. We live in a fallen world affected by sin, suffering, and spiritual opposition. But none of those things change who God is. He remains good, faithful, loving, and just, even when life is difficult to understand.
None of us are exempt from the challenges, disappointments, losses, and hardships that come with living here. That’s why 1 Peter 4:12 tells us not to be surprised by fiery trials, as though something strange were happening. Difficulties are a part of life, but they are not evidence that God is punishing us.
Where Darkness Actually Comes From
Whenever we encounter confusion, loss, destruction, or anything that opposes God’s Will, we need to be careful not to attribute those things to God. Scripture teaches that there is an enemy at work. 1Peter 5:8 (NLT) warns, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
God is not the author of darkness. He is the Redeemer. He is loving, merciful, and faithful. That is why it is so important to know Him through His Word rather than through our circumstances. When we misunderstand His character, confusion follows.
Don’t allow disappointment, fear, or the opinions of others to define who God is in your mind. Read His Word. Know Him for yourself and stand firm in your faith. He is a good God, and as 2 Timothy 2:13 reminds us, even when we are unfaithful, He remains faithful because He cannot deny who He is. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“God Is Not A Punishing God”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2026. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
