December 23, 2024

God’s Goodness

July 20, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

How great is Your goodness,
which You have stored up for those who fear You,
which You bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in You.
Psalm 31:19

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10, Psalm 111:10).  There are so many blessings and so much goodness that follows the true children of God—the ones who really fear Him and do His Will always.

Let me just show you a few verses in the Bible that show the goodness of God.

• Psalm 25:8  Good and upright is the Lord therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.
• Psalm 33:5   The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.
• Psalm 34:8   Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
• Psalm 119:68   You are good and what You do is good, teach me your decrees.
• Psalm 145:7  They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
• Matthew 19:17  “Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

The above Scriptures speak to us in many ways, showing us the ways of the goodness of the Lord.  David asked, “What is man that God should be mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4).  It is by His grace and His lovingkindness to put in store all this goodness just for us.  The beneficiaries of His goodness are you and I—as long as we do His will and walk in His statutes.  God created us in His own image and own likeliness.  We need to be like our Father for us to enjoy the fruits of the land.  God’s goodness is immeasurable. The grace of God takes us to that level where we are able to receive this goodness.

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Let us pray: Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Your holy name.  King of glory, I worship You.  May Your goodness continue to shower on us.  May we experience the abundance of Your goodness in due time.  Give us the heart to fear You, Lord, and to do Your commandments.  We need You each and every day in our lives.  Holy Spirit, help us in our prayers.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

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Do I Trust You, Lord

January 14, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Sometimes my little heart can’t understand
What’s in Your will, what’s in Your plan
So many times I’m tempted to ask You why
But I can never forget it for long
Lord, what You do could not be wrong
So I believe You, even when I must cry

Do I trust You, Lord
Does the river flow
Do I trust You, Lord
Does the north wind blow
You can see my heart
You can read my mind
And You got to know
That I would rather die
Than to lose my faith
In the One I love
Do I trust You, Lord
Do I trust You

I know the answers, I’ve given them all
But suddenly now, I feel so small
Shaken down to the cavity in my soul
I know the doctrine and theology
But right now they don’t mean much to me
This time there’s only one thing I’ve got to know

I will trust You, Lord, when I don’t know why
I will trust You, Lord, ’til the day I die
I will trust You, Lord, when I’m blind with pain
You were God before, and You’ll never change
I will trust You
I will trust You
I will trust You, Lord
I will trust You

Singer / Songwriter ~ Twila Paris
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I just l.o.v.e the heart of this wonderful woman!  She sings out and proclaims that—even when shaken…worried…fearful…doubting—in her heart of hearts she TRUSTS in her Lord!  Have you been singing along with her?

“I will trust You, Lord, when I don’t know why.
I will trust You, Lord, ‘til the day I die.
I will trust You, Lord, when I’m blind with pain!
You were God before, and You’ll never change.
I will trust You….I will trust You…I will trust You, Lord!
I will trust You.”

Trust in the Lord…Who better to trust in?   But do I?  Do you?  Actually, yes, I think that we do!  We have experienced and been blessed by God’s goodness and grace and mercy over and over and over again.  We have seen His loving care cover the lives of our loved ones.  We know—because He has graciously proven Himself—that He is a faithful God Who always provides what is best for His children.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:21-26

trust

TRUST, n.

1. Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person.
                           He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.  Proverbs 29:25
2. He (or that) which is the ground of confidence.
           For Thou art my hope; O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth. Psalm 71:5
(From Webster’s 1828 Unabridged Dictionary)

From these definitions we have an understanding that it is because of confidence that we trust. And we have confidence in someone or something because they have proved themselves worthy of relying on them.  When we think of these words in relation to our Father God…oh, my!  There is no doubt of His having proven Himself!  He is a Faithful God Who always brings His promises into fruition!

…Trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind
and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him,
and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord
and turn [entirely] away from evil.
Proverbs 3:5-7

This verse comes to mind and brings such peace to my heart! I do not have to always understand. I do not have to know what is going to happen.  But, I do need to follow Him. I need to trust Him with all my heart. That part is my job.  He will help me and He will get me through. It might not be easy (and truth be told, it isn’t always easy), but it will be okay.

The question is, ‘Do we lean on our own understanding or do we depend on God?’  The wise choice is obvious when we remember that God knows the end from the beginning. He provides for and sustains all that happens in between. Trusting Him, and continuing to choose to trust Him, is the wisest decision we can make—every day of our lives.

O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good!
Blessed is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.
Psalm 34:8

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As Long As I Live

February 20, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

I love the Lord, because He has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because He inclined His ear to me,
therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.
Psalms 116:1-2

From generation to generation, God has sustained His people.  He has carried them through the difficulties they have had to endure.  In these verses, we see where it begins.  ‘I love the LORD;’ perhaps we need to say that more.  If we do love Him, let’s proclaim it!  The psalmist goes on to say why He loves God… “because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy, because He inclined His ear to me.”  If you have walked with the Lord for any length of time, you know these two verses to be true.  Our hearts should burst with love for Him because He’s been attentive to our pleas for mercy and has helped us.  And you know full well that once you’ve tasted how wonderful life is with Him, you desire to call on Him all the days of your life!  And in doing so, He will be your strength for you!

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Psalm 34:8

I do not deserve what God has given me.  He has lavished love, mercy, and grace on me!  And the more He does, the more I find myself loving Him more!

Because the Lord sent Jesus to die on the Cross in my place and has forgiven me of my sins, I now have a relationship with Him that will last for an eternity. And no matter what I have to endure on this earth, I know Jesus walks beside me.  No one can separate me from His love.  If you know and love Him, the same can be said for you.

Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written, ‘For Your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, not angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39

Friends, pray.  Call on Him as long as you live!  Love Him!  Have a deep and personal relationship with the Almighty God!  He loves you and cares for you!

Dear Lord,
I love you, and I thank You for hearing my voice when I cry out to You—the first time I knew I desperately needed You and every time since then.  Every time, You have been there to help me, forgive me, comfort me, understand me, and restore me.  You are my precious and wonderful God! Thank You for hearing my pleas of mercy and for always being there!  I will call on You as long as I live!  In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, Amen.

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“I Am” Chapter 2 – Day 2: Seeing God in the Tough Times

July 16, 2013 by

We see God in the good times.  We see the blessings He gives us.  We see the provisions He makes for us, and we see all He does for us. He doesn’t have to reveal Himself in the good times, we see Him in abundance. But those bad times, the bad days, during the stormy seasons, He is not as visible. Not because He isn’t there, but because we allow the circumstances to block our view of God. We allow the situation to overshadow His promises. We try to fix our problems.

When I face tough times, I feel far away from God. I’m not implying that God has abandoned me or that He is leaving me to figure out my problems for myself, but I don’t feel as close or connected as I normally do. When I face tough times I have to intentionally seek out my Heavenly Father. In those tough times I need Him to reveal Himself to me. I need to see Him.

 “God  wants  us  to  rely  on  Him  and  only  Him  to  make  it  through our days”

This sentence stood out to me and made me look at how I handle my life in tough times. I will be the first to admit that when the tough times roll my way I do not always lean on God; sometimes my initial reaction is to lean on myself.  I try to figure a way out of the situation I’m in.   But thankfully, like with the Israelites, God does not get tired of repeating Himself.   He doesn’t lose His patience.  He doesn’t give up on me when I keep repeating the cycle over and over. He loves me through my good and my bad. My good behavior and my bad behavior.  My good times and my bad times.

God does not make bad things happen to us, but He does allow us to go through trials.  These trials bring us back to Him.  They cause us to seek Him for guidance and support. These times cause us to intentionally look for Him.  They remind us that we can not do it alone.  He uses these times to remind us that He is there and that we need to lean on Him.

 Ezekiel 20:7 

Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before His eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’

Ezekiel 20:42

Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.

Ezekiel 20:19

I am the Lord your God: walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them.

I love this following reminder:

“If we look at the character of God in the Old Testament, we see a God who wants a personal relationship with us.” When we, when I, don’t give Him my good and bad times, I am limiting His power in my life; I am not trusting that He can handle the easy and tough seasons I will go through.

I want to make this one of my go-to verses:

 Psalm 34:8

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.

We need to be intentional about trusting God in my tough times. We need to be intentional about seeing God in our tough times.

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for not tiring of reminding us of Your love.  Thank You for not losing Your patience with us when we don’t seek You in our tough times. “You are the Lord our God.”  You desire a personal relationship with us. You desire for us to seek You when life is good and when life isn’t so good. Lord please help us to stand on Your word.  You are good, and we will be blessed when we seek refuge in You, in good times and in bad times.  Thank You for Your love.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.

Amen

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