So, the purpose of this blog update is to try and encourage those of you that read this... that you would remember God's goodness and all that He has done for you, and remember to trust Him in all things.
God IS GOOD! Yesterday, today, and forever more. He is always good and He is the source of all good things. When you are standing in the midst of trials, suffering, or even momentary peace we must remember that God is good. If we forget this truth then our world will shake and we will lose our grasp on the one thing that is stationary--God. We cannot doubt God's goodness one second of the day... it is what we cling to in this world, when evil is swirling all around us. God is the rock, stronghold, and refuge in the midst of a fallen world (Psalm 18:1-3). He is the Light and we must remember that.
Luke 18:19 says, "And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.'"
God alone is good and we, as fellow heirs with Christ, need to be looking more and more like Him daily. We need to be reflecting Him--that is why we were created.
`Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
We are to reflect Him to a fallen world now, we are to reflect His goodness. That is a whole different discussion though... I am going to talk about how we should lean on the fact that God is good, in the midst of trials and suffering.
Psalm 16:2 says, "I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.'"
So, we need to remember in the midst of our trials that God is good and we have no good besides Him. So when the Lord takes something away, we need to be content and rest in the fact that He is our goodness and nothing else matters.
Jeremiah Burroughs said, "Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delight's in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition."
We are called to be content in Christ in whatever situations He brings our way. We need to submit to and delight in all the work He is doing in your life, even if it hurts, knowing that it is God's goodness toward you.
Psalm 84:11 says, "The Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly."
So, everything that comes our way, if we are following Christ, is good to us. It is what is best for you, whether it feels like it or not. Ground yourself in that truth! Ground yourself in God's Word! It is the only thing that will not move, will not let you down, or disappoint. Our God is good, loving, and immutable (unchanging)--what an awesome God He is. =] We need to continually remind ourselves of this, especially in hard times when our flesh tells us otherwise.
Another thing to remember in times of struggle is that God might be taking things out of your life (idols) so that He can fill that space of your heart with Himself. This is a quote from a man at our church who was teaching Sunday School yesterday; teaching on Ruth, talking about Naomi.
"She did not realize that God was emptying her hands so that He could fill them with something much better."
If you are in the midst of struggle and hardship, I suggest reading Lamentations 3. I will type just a section of it here...
"This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord." (verses 21-26)
We need to recall to mind that God is good. Lovingkindnesses, in this text, encompasses nine different things in the Hebrew--love, grace, mercy, goodness, forgiveness, truth, compassion, and faithfulness. This verse says that all of these never cease. They never cease! What an encouraging truth that we can cling to.
I challenge you to remember God's lovingkindnesses all the day long. To remember His goodness with every breath you take. All that God is doing in your life is shaping you into a better tool that He can use for His glory. It is making you to look more like Christ, which should be our greatest goal in life--to glorify God, serve Him, and look more like Him. May God be blessed by each of us and receive more glory through us all. Live for Him and love Him in the easy times and the hard times--His hand is in it all and wherever you are right now is absolute best for you. Praise Him, people! Praise Him for His great goodness!
~Praying that God is honored and worshiped more.
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