I thought the best way to approach this word, goodness, was to first look it up in the dictionary.  The definition given for goodness is the state or quality of kindness, generosity and excellence of character.  It also says that goodness is the essence or most valuable part of something and it is a euphemism for God.  This helped my focus, as the Bible speaks of goodness as a quality that God desires for his children. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22.  Goodness is a result of being with God, being indwelt by God and knowing Jesus as our Savior.

In Genesis, God proclaims His creation as being good after each day, Genesis 1.   When God created man He said it was very good. Genesis 1:31.  Before sin entered the world, all of creation was good in God’s eyes.  After the fall of man into sin, the world was permeated and clouded by sin.  The purity and goodness of man was gone and God alone was good.   God is good and scripture encourages us that looking to God we will see goodness.  Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who take refuge in him.“  Psalm 100:5  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generation’s.”   Nahum 1:7 “God is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in him.”   Goodness is part if God’s character.   He desires that we have this character trait too.  Scripture tell us that since man is sinful, he is not good.  Psalm 53:3b “there is no one who does good- not even one.”  Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19 “Why do you call me good? Jesus answered, ” No one is good- except God alone.”   Romans 3:12 “All have turned away, they have  together become worthless;  there is on one who does good, not even one.”     So how are we to attain this character quality that God desires for us?  In Christ alone do we find the power to behave with goodness and reflect the quality of goodness in our lives.  Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need you will abound in every good work.”   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Tell us that the power of Christ in our lives will bear the fruit of goodness.  Look to Christ and depend upon Him each day to help you to walk with goodness and show others the goodness of Christ.  Micah 1:8 reminds up “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”    Endeavoring to live a life for Christ filled with His goodness pleases God!  Is this your desire?   Will you lay yourself before Him and ask His help and guidance to better reflect His goodness and mercy to others?

Striving to walk with goodness,

Linda

Isaiah 63:7  “I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us-  yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.”

What can you thank and praise God for today?  What kindness has He shown you and your family recently?  I am eternally grateful for His love, mercy and forgiveness through Chris Jesus.

Living as a result of His great kindness and mercy,

Linda

I started this series in October and since the Advent blogging is past I wanted to get back to this study.  So far we have discovered that God wants us to have: holiness, love for others, joy, peace and patience in our lives.  Today we are adding kindness to this list of desirable attributes.

There are many examples of kindness exhibited by people in the Bible.  David showed kindness to his enemy Saul’s crippled grandson, Mephibosheth.   Saul’s son Jonathan was David’s friend and he sought to show kindness instead of hatred.  (2Samuel 9)  Also, Boaz showed kindness to Ruth and Naomi in letting them glean from his fields.  He was a distant kinsmen who claimed them in kindness.  Can you recall people who you showed kindness to in 2015?

Scripture tells us in Proverbs 21:21 “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor.   Zechariah 7:9 “This says the LORD of hosts, ‘Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,'”   God wants us to purse actions that reflect His character and show kindness to others.  I love the verse in Jeremiah 9:24b ..”that I am the LORD who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.”   God is a god of kindness who delights to show us kindness.  His greatest act of kindness was to send Jesus, His son.  Titus 3:4-5 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteousness things we had done, but because of his mercy.”   There is no amount of right or kind things we can do to deserve being saved.  He saved us because of his kindness and mercy.

Who can you show kindness to this week?  Is there an elderly person that needs a call or visit, a kind word for your coworker or spouse or a gentle kind touch for a child?   Seek to show God’s kindness this week and know you are reflecting God’s character in your actions.

Open to kindness,

Linda

Starting a new year is daunting at times.  I think I am overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of work, setting goals for the year, looking ahead to what I want to do and/or accomplish.  The last couple of years I have tried to focus on Lamentations 3:21-23 “Yet 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.”  God wants us to have HOPE!  He wants us to get up each day and claim His promise of hope and mercy.  He is true to His character and His faithfulness is great, unending and full.

I pray this encourages you as you begin the New Year, 2016.

Linda

I chose this verse to begin my new book, Promises for Dynamic Living.  Memorize it and claim it for a dynamic 2016!

As this New Year starts, I ask myself what do I need to change?  What do I need to keep on doing?  What difference will I make this year?   These questions are different than making New Year’s resolutions as they ask us to reflect on our lives and take a few minutes to analyze our motives and direction.

What do I need to change?  King Saul was anointed King by the prophet Samuel.  Samuel describes Saul’s transformation in 1 Samuel 10:6-7 “Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.  Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do for God is with you.”  Samuel told Saul the Lord would empower him through His Spirit to do the things he needed to do.  What about you?  Are you trusting the Lord to help you change what needs to be different in your life’s circumstances or character?  You are not without power. You have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help you achieve that which seems impossible.  ” For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1: 37

What do I need to keep doing?  Here you and I need to analyze what we’re doing that is working and glorifying God.  Pray and ask God for direction and guidance whether you need to keep on or turn in another direction.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” 

What difference will I make this year?    One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 55:11  “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  What this says to me is that God has a purpose and a work for you and I to do.  If we keep our focus on Him, He will do the achieving and He is always successful.  God is sovereign and His will for us will be completed.  We just need to be willing and step out in faith; He will do the work.

I pray these simple questions stimulate your thinking as we begin 2016.  God desires that we honor and glorify Him in all we do and say.  Let it be so for each of us in this New Year.

Blessings anew,

Linda

I’m still in the contemplating mode as we end this year.  Yesterday I was printing out my most recent blogs for my binder and making a list of titles and categories.  I had let this chore slide for quite a while, so I was at it for several hours.  Anyway, when I was done I stood in awe, with thanksgiving in my heart, at the work God had allowed me to do this last year.  I counted the number of posts I’d written in 2015 and discovered I had blogged 123 times!!  When you multiply that by about an hour of writing and editing for each post that is about 123 hours.  That is 5 days and 8 minutes.  Who would have thought I’d have that kind of time, energy, direction and thoughts.   God did!  He knew the kind of blessings I would receive by doing this.

I want to share a verse that has come up again and again this year for me.  Psalm 37:5  “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. “  (Day 14 promise in Promises for Dynamic Living) I have seen this over and over in 2015.  When I faced decisions, God reminded me that I need only commit my way to Him, and then He would do the work.  It was not my job to make things happen but His privilege as Sovereign God.   Because of His work in the past for me, I know I can commit and trust Him for the future, 2016.  How about you?

Thank you my readers for spending even part of the 123 days with me.  I pray it was a blessing to you.

Linda

I trust you had a meaningful Christmas and are getting ready this week to usher in a New Year, 2016.  In preparation for the New Year, I was contemplating God’s mercy and faithfulness during 2015.  Tangibly we can see ways God has provided for us physically but we need to consider all the ways He has provided for us spiritually as well.  All the times of discouragement, despair, weariness, lostness and purposelessness that come in a year and then how He has given encouragement, hope, strength, courage, guidance and purpose in His work.  The examples are different for each of us.  Isn’t that amazing, we have such a personal Creator God.

We can pray for God to show us His mercy as we struggle.  In Exodus 33:19 God is preparing to show a glimpse of his glory to Moses. “And the LORD said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD in your presence.  I will have mercy on whom I will have compassion.’”   God’s mercy is given at His discretion and is not earned by us in any way.  Moses needed to see who God was and God in His mercy revealed a glimpse of himself to Moses.  Micah 8:18 adds another aspect of God’s mercy for our thoughts.  “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?  You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.”  Have you every thought that God delights to show mercy to you?  It is part of His character to be merciful and delight in showing mercy.

As you think on God’s mercies to you in 2015, praise and thank Him that you were the recipient of His delight and that He chose you to receive special mercies exactly when you needed them.

Grateful for His mercies in 2015,

Linda

God was especially merciful to me this year in allowing me to travel to these places with good friends.  He is truly a gracious and merciful God.

Crater Lake, Oregon

Old Faithful, Yellowstone

The Alhambra, Spain

La Sagra Famailia Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain

Merry Christmas!!  The long awaited day has arrived both children and adults anticipate this day’s arrival all year long for many reasons.  Children are wide eyed about the gifts and adults the joyful looks on their children’s faces.  That first Christmas the Christ child was welcomed to earth by Mary, Joseph, the animals in the stable and praising shepherds.  Both Joseph and Mary were told to name their child Jesus.  Jesus was the name of hope for the coming Messiah, the long awaited savior.  The angel told Joseph “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21   I’m sure they gazed on their child with hope and great desire knowing that God’s promised the Messiah had finally arrived and would bring salvation to their people.  God’s intent was that salvation would be for all the world and would reach far beyond that humble stable.   Do you know the salvation that Jesus brought?  God’s desire is that all should know and receive the gift of salvation that Jesus brought.

Today as you praise God and thank Him for the salvation He sent in Jesus, remember:  Acts 4:12 “And there is Salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”         1 Thessalonians 5:9-10  “For God has not destined us for wrath , but to obtains salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us sot hat whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build on another up, just as you are doing.”  Jesus brought the hope of salvation from sin to mankind.  He is our hope and Savior.  Greet Him with joy and thanksgiving this Christmas.

Joyful in the Savior,

Linda

Today  on this Christmas Eve our word is Immanuel.  The angel appeared to Joseph and spoke these word in Matthew 1:21-23 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people form their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call his  Immanuel –  which means, ‘God with us'”   Matthew wanted to be very sure that his Jewish readers understood the connection to the Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”     In these verses we are told several truths about Jesus:   He would be born of a virgin, He would be called Jesus, His purpose in coming was to save us from our sins, He would bring God to us to be with us.

What does it mean that ‘God is with us’?   One of my favorite verses is Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord your God goes with you ; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”     Jesus also gave this assurance  in Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”   I take great comfort in knowing that God is with me no matter what I am facing.  What about you?  Will you be encouraged today because you know that Jesus’ birth means that ‘God is with you’?  Claim faith in His son Jesus in your life and experience the fullness of ‘God is with you’ for yourself.

Living with His presence,

Linda

Today I am focusing on multiple names given to describe Jesus in Isaiah’s prophecy made in about 700 B.C.   Isaiah 9:6b “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  What is unusual about  each of these names is that they contain 2 descriptors of the coming Messiah and King.  Wonderful Counselor speaks of Jesus as a king that will reign and have power that is beyond human capabilities. He will have wonderful, marvelous plans for our good.  Mighty God speaks of Jesus as the divine warrior who is our protector and champion.  He is mighty and fair or just in all things. Everlasting Father speaks of Jesus as the coming benevolent Father. A king who cares for His people for eternity.  Isaiah 64:8 describes this relationship “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”  Psalm 103:13 gives yet another aspect of this relationship “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” The last name of Jesus in this verse is Prince of Peace.  This refers to Jesus as the king who will reign in peace.  He will bring wholeness and wellness to all his subjects.

Which of these names of Jesus speak to you today?  Is He your Wonderful Counselor, your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father or your Prince of Peace?  He can be all these to the one who trusts and believes in Him. David put it this way in Psalm 31:14 “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.'”  Is He your God today?  Is He reigning as King of your life?  Good  questions to ponder and answer as we approach the day of His birth.  He came to be our Messiah King to reign forever and ever.

A child of the King,

Linda