Pray When You Need to be Confident of God’s Goodness

The most common question about faith is "How can I believe in God's goodness when He allows suffering?" When doubts arise it's time to turn to Him in prayer. #Prayer #GodisGood #BibleStudy #Faith #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings

Do you trust God’s goodness?

We say God is good, but do we really believe it?

I recently shared this on social media…

After you have suffered a little while, [God] will restore, support, and strengthen you.
1 Peter 5:10

And an individual responded by saying … “a load of nonsense.”

I don’t think you or I would say it like that but if we’re honest, we have our doubts. We wonder … God will you let me suffer like this indefinitely? Are you really good?

We want to trust those words God’s goodness completely but sometimes when we’ve prayed and prayed and asked God to help and then we have what seems like an endless wait something happens. Occasionally in the wait, worry is followed by a little doubt and before we know it we’re questioning God’s goodness.

And that’s when I need to pause and ask for His help.

Because I need His Holy Spirit to give me confidence that God’s goodness is personal. I need His help to know God sees me, forgives me, provides for me, and that He has a plan and purpose for my life. I need His Spirit’s help to remind me of His perfect love when I grow impatient in the waiting.

I need the Spirit’s help to know with everything in me that . . . God is good!

Jesus said,

When the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
John 14:26

That’s what I need … maybe you do too! That reminder of God’s promises of His love and goodness.

So, that’s where I’m going today …. to God’s promises and I’m praying them back to Him because the more turn to Him through His Word and prayer, the more confident I become that He is who He says He is.

I’d love for you to pray with me…

Pray When You Need to be Confident of God’s Goodness

Everything God made is good. That includes you!

God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!
Genesis 1:31

Lord, Everything You make is good. Your Word says, in the beginning, it was very good. And through Your love, You suffered and died to forgive my sins and give freedom to the goodness You created in me. It also says that because of Your goodness and love, You will give me everything I need. maybe not everything I want … but everything I need. Help me believe that, Lord. Help me trust Your promises and give me patience and peace when worry creeps in and doubts arise.

God loves you. Always and perfectly. You are His child.

The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are His children.
1 John 3:1

Father, You call me your child. I was an orphan, lost and alone and You adopted me. Through Jesus, You made me part of Your family. That defines Your goodness. There is no way to sufficiently thank you.

When I am tempted to focus on my current problems, please help me focus on Your grace, mercy, and love. Help me remember what an awesome blessing it is to be called Your child. You are my Father and You are good. Help me love You with all that I am and by Your grace, help me live each day with the confidence that Your will is always for my good.

God sees and knows everything about you.

“You are ‘God who sees me,’” because she said to herself, “Have I really seen God who sees me?”
Genesis 16:13

Father, You are the God who sees me. Thank you! Nothing is hidden from you.

Like David, I can say, “You know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” (Psalm 139) And Jesus said, You even know how many hairs there are on my head. (Matthew 10:30)

I can have peace for today and hope for the future when I remember that I am constantly under Your watchful care.

God is good, kind, and merciful to you.

The Lord is kind and shows mercy. He does not become angry quickly but is full of love. The Lord is good to everyone; He is merciful to all He has made.
Psalm 145:8–9

Father, Your Word tells me You are kind and merciful, patient, and loving.

I want to trust and follow wherever You lead … but I have to admit, I fail. I don’t love You and trust You with all I am. I don’t love my neighbors as I love myself. I get angry. I worry. I procrastinate and I find comfort in things. Please forgive me. I need your merciful goodness. By Your grace, please help me do better. Help me trust Your perfect will for me. Help me faithfully live confident of Your goodness, kindness, mercy, and love.

God is ready and willing to forgive and help you. His perfect love never fails.

O Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for Your help.
Psalm 86:5

Father, This promise fills me with hope. You are always ready to forgive those who come to You. You don’t want me to live with the guilt that so often creeps in. You don’t want me weighed down by the past. Your plan for me is a life of freedom through Your goodness and grace.

Through Jesus, You endured my punishment. The price for my sins has been paid. Help me quickly bring my sins to You in repentance, trusting Your promise of unfailing love and forgiveness. Help me live free of doubt and worry … trusting You are faithful to do what You say You will do.

God is your provider. Don’t be afraid or worry. He will meet your every need.

“Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to Him than any birds! Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”
Luke 12:24, 27, 31–32

Father, You don’t want me to be afraid or worry. You want me to live free of anxiety and doubt. You promise that You will meet every need.

Please forgive me for too often believing my wants are needs. By Your grace help me trust You. Make me satisfied with what You want for me. Help me help others out of the abundance You provide. Be my heart’s desire. With Your help, I will seek Your Kingdom above all else. Help me trust Your goodness without worry or fear.

God meets every spiritual need and gives you everything you need to live for His glory.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:2–3

Father, through Your goodness and love You meet every one of my spiritual needs. You make it possible for me to know You. You show me Your will. You hear my prayers. You comfort and strengthen me. You give me hope for the future and the peace I need today.

Thank you. Forgive me for foolishly and selfishly doing things on my own, for thinking my way is better. I’m sorry, Lord. With Your help, I surrender this day to You. I will follow where You lead and trust Your will as You reveal it to me. You are good, Father. May I live today covered by Your grace for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

God is good!

His love for you and me is personal. He provides for every physical and spiritual need. His unfailing forgiveness is always available. He sees, knows, and cares. He is good.

You and I can be confident of God’s goodness!

And just a quick follow-up to tell about the comment to my social media post. I responded by telling him I was sorry that he felt that way but that based on my experience, God is faithful to restore support and strengthen when we need Him.

That began a dialogue where I’ve been able to share my testimony and tell him why I believe in God’s goodness.

I’m so thankful that when I begin to doubt … His Spirit draws me back through the truth of God’s promises.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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How to Get Back in the Boat of Your Shipwrecked Dreams

7 / 16 / 187 / 19 / 18

Welcome to Week #7 of The Summer Sizzle Blog Hop Series.

If you’ve missed any of the earlier posts here, check out:

6 of the Best Ways to Fight Distraction and Listen to God
by Dawn Klinge

Amazing Worship Songs that will Make Your Day Better
by Carmen Brown

How to be Blessed with the Powerful Wisdom of God
by Valerie Murray

5 Verses that will Help When You Worry About Your Kids
by Ruthie Gray

How to Thrive When You Need a Spiritual Pep Talk
by Nicki Schroeder

7 Verses that will Give You Perspective When You Need It
by Melanie Redd

AND…

To find more posts from my awesome friends, visit The Summer Sizzle Blog Hop Series Board on Pinterest!

Now, for today’s post…

Please welcome another precious friend, Marva Smith from Sun Sparkle Shine, one of those people who really does scatter sparkles over those blessed to know her.

Visiting Marva at Sun Sparkle Shine is like sitting on the seashore watching the sunshine as it dances along the waves.

Read the first line of her about me page:

SunSparkleShine is your space to simply…slow…down. As you do, I hope you will breathe easy and give yourself permission to enjoy life to the full. It’s okay, go ahead, escape the busyness of life and truly sparkle in the light of God’s goodness.

So, sit back, relax, and breathe in the beauty of goodness and hope that only God can give … and of course, don’t forget to stop and say hello to make Marva feel at home!

How to Get Back in the Boat of Your Shipwrecked Dreams

Talk to me about shipwrecked dreams and I’ll quickly tell you I can relate.

I’m not going to pretend that I’d win a competition if there was one, but I can assure you that I have some stories of my own. I can think of a time or two (too many) when life has knocked my dreams about.

Not too long ago my dreams were left by the wayside, put on hold in the face of survival.

We don’t like to talk about our dashed dreams, do we? It’s messy, uncomfortable and yes, downright painful.

We start to associate our broken dreams with pain, loss and suffering. And the truth is they often are.

But, friend, what if we looked at our lost and shipwrecked dreams in a different way?

Think about how Paul suggested we should approach our sufferings:

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. Romans 5:1-5

Are you rejoicing over your lost dreams?

It almost seems insulting to suggest it.

I have to tell you, rejoicing isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my broken, my shipwrecked dreams. Far from it.

But what about this one in Isaiah 61:1-3?

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
    for the Lord has anointed me
    to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
    and to proclaim that captives will be released and
prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
    that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
    and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,
He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
    that the Lord has planted for His own glory.

Many of those words resonated with me.

Brokenhearted. Mourning. Faint spirit. Ruins.

But friend, this is what God wants to offer us instead:

Good news.

Liberty.

Favor.

Beauty

A garment of praise.

Those are the words I’m holding on to.

A few months ago, I lost the life I knew. With it went a few goals and dreams. My home, my country, my family, my job, my life, have all been turned upside down.

But you know one thing I haven’t lost?

My purpose.

Having my faith anchored in Christ makes all the difference. Even with my goals and dreams shipwrecked, my purpose remains.

Now more than ever, God has stirred up a fire within me to live life on purpose. A life of meaning, a life of value and a life of hope. A life that makes a difference.

I am on a mission to spread this hope to you too. If you’ve lost sight of your goals and dreams, don’t lose sight of your purpose.

Your purpose is still there, settled deep within your soul.

It might need to be stirred, but it’s still there.

God has something better in store for you. In place of your old goals and dreams, God wants to give you something better.

Rather than mourn the dreams I lost, I’m dreaming again and embracing new possibilities.

If you’re passionate about rekindling your purpose too, let’s make a commitment to do just that. Let’s stay close to our Father, the giver of dreams and the creator of purpose. Let’s seek His plan for our lives. Let’s turn to Him and humbly submit our future to Him.

God wants you to dream even bigger than before. And I can’t wait to see the amazing things He’ll do in you and through you.

I know that my old dreams will be nothing compared to my new ones.

Remember what the Scripture said?

Beauty for ashes.

All so that God can be glorified. How exciting is that?

Let’s decide to dream big and walk in purpose, together!

Wishing you blessings!

Marva

Marva Smith | SunSparkleShine.com

Marva is an island-living, sun-loving Christian wife and mother. As a business owner, management consultant, trainer and coach, she’s no stranger to busy but chooses the full life Christ offers instead (John 10:10). She finds joy in encouraging women to slow down and shine in the light of God’s goodness. You can find her writing about her life and faith on her website SunSparkleShine.com as well as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. Get a free copy of her e-book You Were Made to Sparkle here.

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Are You Exhausted? 3 Ways to Do What You Need to Do

8 / 29 / 169 / 8 / 16

This is for you, the one who’s exhausted. The one who feels like they’ve poured themselves into others until there’s just nothing left.

You know “goodness does.”

You want to pour out love and care for others but for today . . . you are goodnessed out!

Your tank is empty and you’ve got nothin’ left.

Exhausted? 3 Ways to Do What You Need to Do

Exhausted? – Fill Your Tank

Spend time alone with God

It’s so easy to push my quiet time aside when life gets busy . . . but when life gets crazy and I’m spent, I need time in prayer and the Word. I need God’s impossible to understand peace.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Eat a healthy diet.

“If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?” ~Unknown

If you’re like me, you crave sugar and junk food when you’re exhausted. Gotta love that sugar rush. Right?! But I’ve learned I do much better when I eat healthy, and…

Take time to rest.

When I get enough rest. It’s better to cross a few activities off your list than to regularly deny yourself enough sleep.

“Sleep deprivation is an illegal torture method outlawed by the Geneva Convention and international courts, but most of us do it to ourselves.” ~Ryan Hurd

Have fun with family and friends.

There is something about laughter that energizes me like nothing else. It’s a wonderful way to put aside stress and forget what’s troubling . . . even if it’s just for a little while.

“How would your life be different if…You decided to give freely, love fully, and play feverously? Let today be the day…You free yourself from the conditioned rules that limit your happiness and dilute the beautiful life experience. Have fun. Give – Love – Play!” ~Steve Maraboli

Simplify where possible.

Rev and I are organizing and simplifying around our home. Keeping it simple gives us less to take care of and worry about. It’s awesome!

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” ~Hans Hofmann

Worship

Praise God for who He is and all He does. Thank Him. Turn up your favorite worship tunes and sing with your heart and mind focused on just how very much your Father loves you.

I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. Psalm 138:2

Exhausted? – Set Clear Boundaries

Know God’s will.

Spend time with God. Know His yeses and nos. What He approves. What He doesn’t. Ask Him to make His will clear to you.

“My dreams had to be His dreams, the ones He placed in my heart. They couldn’t be the ones I thought I should have, or needed for the purpose of making other people like me.” ~Stormie Omartian

Live your priorities.

You can’t do everything for everyone. Have a mission statement and live by it. Plan. Plan. Plan.

“You have a purpose in life. You know in your heart what’s most important to you. In fact, your mission and values are expressed every day, by how you live–you just may not realize it.” ~Stephen Covey

Expect respect.

You don’t have to accept unkind words or actions. It’s perfectly acceptable to make it clear you will not allow others to treat you cruelly. Then treat everyone as you want them to treat you.

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12

Be willing to say “no.”

Saying “no” is hard for me. I don’t like to disappoint anyone. But living out too many yeses is exhausting. It stresses me out and makes me miserable. Maybe you have the same struggle.

“I know saying ‘no’ now is hard, but you’ll only have to feel bad for a little while. If you say ‘yes’ you’ll worry and feel bad until the event, through it, and probably long after. I think I’d rather shorten the misery.” ~A Very Wise Friend

Guard your heart and mind.

Social media. News. Gossip – personal or celebrity. Entertainment.

Be aware that what you put into your mind may be a huge source of stress and anxiety.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

Happiness boundaries.

You are not responsible for the happiness of others and they are not responsible for yours.

Trying to please everyone is a recipe for stress and frustration. You can’t control other people’s happiness. Live for God’s glory and let the rest play out as it will.

Exhausted? – The Most Important Thing You Need to Remember

Live for God’s glory.

I’ve realized that living for God’s glory has more to do with my attitude than it has to do with my actions. I can be doing all things for all people . . . but if I’m doing it all while grumbling it’s hard for people to see Jesus in me or for me to feel His presence.

When I keep my eyes on Jesus and trust Him to give me whatever I need to do God’s will, then . . . I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

I don’t believe there is one great thing I was made to do in this world. I believe there is one great God I was made to glorify. And there will be many ways, even a million little ways, I will declare His glory with my life.” ~Emily P. Freeman

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name goes all the glory
for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1

Yes, goodness does. We can see God’s goodness in who He is and what He does.

And…

If you and I want people to see God’s goodness in us we absolutely must (and I’m talking to myself here…):

Keep our spiritual, emotional, and physical tanks full.
Set healthy boundaries.
Live for God’s glory.

Now to follow through by His grace and with His help.

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The Wonderful Ways God Pours Out His Goodness

8 / 22 / 169 / 8 / 16

Am I the only one who writes a post and then decides it doesn’t work?

I’ve been thinking about how God pours out His goodness. How you and I pour out our hurts, fear, and confusion to God and He pours patience, grace, mercy, kindness, and love into us. The wonderful part . . . through it all He makes it possible for us to pour out to others who are hurting, fearful, and confused.

I wrote, but the words felt about as inspiring as a math lecture.

So, I decided to tell you a story instead.

Wonderful Ways God Pours Out His Goodness

Rev and I bought our first house based on price and location.

We were moving back to St. Louis after spending a year in Columbus, Ohio. About six weeks before moving back we gave ourselves a few days to work with a realtor and do a little “hunting.”

An important part of the story is that I was 28 weeks pregnant and just a little emotional. After looking at only three houses that were definitely not going to work, I bubbled over and the realtor stated, “Well, you’re either going to have to decrease your expectations or increase the amount you are willing to spend!”

More money . . . not an option. And we weren’t looking for a palace just a place to call home.

Later that day, someone Rev worked with recommended a different realtor. Whew! The next day he showed us what was to become our first house. The neighborhood we wanted with a price tag we could afford. A cute little bungalow in South City, St. Louis.

I won’t go into all the details of the move. Nothing goes smoothly right? Just remember that at the time of the move I was only six weeks away from my due date.

Here are the highlights:

The movers in Ohio didn’t arrive until 7pm.
The truck wasn’t fully loaded until after 10pm.
We started driving toward St. Louis after the truck left but were too tired to continue at about 2am. Unfortunately, there was no room in the inn . . . in any inn. So, we stopped for a nap at the next rest stop. Rev slept on the hood of the car. I slept in the front seat with the dog on the floor and my 13-year-old brother (who was along to help us move) slept in the back.
In St. Louis, getting a hotel room wasn’t a problem. In fact, we lived in one small room for two weeks because a family tragedy for the seller caused a delay that kept us from getting into the house when we’d hoped. And don’t think meals in restaurants and lazing around by the pool.
This pregnant woman was starting to lose it.

We finally signed all the papers late Wednesday afternoon and hurried off to a church softball game with keys in hand…

We shared our first-time home-owner enthusiasm with our friends and invited them to join us after the game for our first walk through.

I wish I had photos of the expressions on our older and wiser friend’s faces. Let’s just say, “Oh no, what have these two kids done,” was going through their minds.

This house needed help.

Wonderful Friends Pour Out God’s Goodness

Before those four families left our home that first night, they told us to choose paint colors and be ready to see them at 9am Saturday morning.

They spent all weekend on patching, painting, and repairing every inch. They turned our “oh no” into our home. They also provided yummy meals covering us with encouragement and love.

I’m sure they all had other things they could have done that weekend.

Their children ranged in age from 10 to 16. Yeah, plenty of other things to do.

But they dropped everything else . . . to pour out love.

It still overwhelms and humbles us.

God Often Uses People as He Pours Out His Goodness.

You and I can pour our junk and messes out to a caring loving God. When life throws us challenges and emotions bubble over . . . God sees and hears. We can cry out to Him, trusting that out of love He pours out His mercy and grace on us.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16

And gives us everything we need to pour out His goodness on each other.

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me. Matthew 25:35–36

Yes, because God is good you and I can go to Him with every:

Worry.
Fear.
Complaints.
Sadness.
Happiness.
Grief.
Questions.
Needs.

And trust He will pour out:

His Grace

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14

His Mercy

But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15

His Spirit

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:6

His Blessings

Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord All-Powerful. “I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need.” Malachi 3:10

His Love

And this hope will never disappoint us because God has poured out His love to fill our hearts. He gave us His love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us. Romans 5:5

Love, blessings, grace, mercy, and the power of His Spirit. Yes, God pours out His goodness and love into the lives of His people.

And that’s something to celebrate!

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What is Goodness? It’s Not What You Think!

8 / 1 / 168 / 1 / 16

I think my parents would say that for the most part, I was “a good girl” growing.”

Whew!

Don’t we want our children to be “good.”

But what does being good really mean?

If you’re like me, you think “being good” equals being obedient. Isn’t that what you’re looking for when you tell your children to “be good.”

Obedience.

And when I chose the word goodness for the month of August, that’s what I thought I’d be writing about.

Oh yippee! A month talking about Jesus following obedience.

If a month of looking at all the ways you’re falling short when it comes to following Jesus well makes you want to run screaming from the room . . . you can, like me, breathe a sigh of relief.

Goodness is not a synonym for obedience.

It’s okay, you can admit you’re just a little relieved.

But if goodness isn’t obedience then . . . what is goodness?

It’s listed among the Fruit of the Spirit; however, it’s not something we talk about often. It’s just easier to talk about joy, love, patience, kindness, and faithfulness.

The problem may be that goodness somehow seems relative. My idea of what is good may be very different from yours.

But God is not relative! And neither is goodness.

The list of synonyms for goodness is – moral, virtuous, competent, useful, reliable, kind, authentic, and beneficial, but not obedient or obedience.

So, like the other words we’ve studied together:

Freedom
Love
Wisdom
Prayer
Humility
Patience
Stillness

It’s possible you and I have a limited view of goodness.

Let’s start digging deep into the word “goodness,” like we have with every word . . . let’s look up. Let’s begin with our relationship with God.

What is Goodness?

You’ve heard the expression – God is good! We say it all the time, but what does it mean?

The Greek word for goodness is – agathosune, ἀγαθωσύνη, pronounced (ag-ath-o-soo’-nay).

It is defined as – intrinsic goodness, especially as a personal quality, with the stress being on the kindly (rather than the righteous) side of goodness. (Strong’s Concordance)

God is good because:

He is perfect and righteous – it is who He is.
He is kind – it is what He does.

Everything God made is good.

God looked at everything He had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31

God’s promise of a Savior is good.

I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies. One of her descendants will crush your head, and you will bite His heel.” Genesis 3:15

Kings declared God good.

Praise the Lord! Thank the Lord because He is good. His love continues forever. Psalm 106:1

Prophets declared God good.

Tell these people to come to me. Let them talk about these things together. Who told you long ago that this would happen? Who told about it long ago? I, the Lord, said these things. There is no other God beside me. I am the only good God. I am the Savior. There is no other God. Isaiah 45:21

God revealed His goodness in and through Jesus.

“The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.” Luke 19:10

This is how God showed His love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through Him. 1 John 4:9

God’s mercy is great, and he loved us very much.Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God’s grace. Ephesians 2:4–5

God is at work doing good in your life and mine.

We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him. They are the people He called, because that was His plan. Romans 8:28

Everything God does is good.

Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows. James 1:17

God, I will thank you forever for what you have done. With those who worship you, I will trust you because you are good. Psalm 52:9

God is good – it is who He is and what He does.

Simply put – God is good because everything about Him always has been and always will be good, and because everything He has ever done or will ever do is good.

You and I can stand with kings and prophets and boldly proclaim – God is good!

Look at that verse at the top of the list again –

God looked at everything He had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31

Everything!

That means you!

You were created in His image and that means:

You are good simply because He made you.
You are able to do good because His Spirit living in you makes it possible.

Your Heavenly Father is good and He shows His goodness through His kindness (grace and mercy).

Beth Moore wrote the follow about goodness in Living Beyond Yourself:

“Kindness and goodness are complementary aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. Without kindness, goodness becomes harsh and self-righteous. Without goodness, kindness becomes indulgent tolerance. Only the Holy Spirit can balance and grow these essential qualities in our lives.”

God is righteous and God is kind.

He must punish sin because He is good (perfect righteousness). But because He is kind, He sent Jesus to take our punishment for us.

I can’t wait to sit with Him and dig deep into His Word this month and find out more about goodness. Goodness in my relationship with God and how it might look in my relationships with the people He puts around me.

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