Tag: God is good

God’s Goodness Abounds

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Jesus said, “ Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Luke 24:44  Jesus came and lived the perfectly sinless life which meant that He made all the right sacrifices at holy days, was circumcised, and followed all the Jewish customs and laws.  In addition, all that was prophesied about Him, all the work He came to accomplish was Yes in Christ. 

Today’s story continues in Luke 2:21-25 “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”   These actions are what we would expect from Mary and Joseph as they would want to observe all the right customs that were required by the Law of Moses with their new child.

Luke 2:25-37 tells us what happened when they came to the temple to present Jesus to the Lord. 

Simeon

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

The attribute of God that comes to mind with this story is goodness. God was so good to Simeon to allow him see Jesus before his life was over. God kept His promise to Simeon and God in His goodness will do the same for you and me. We see God’s goodness in His love and faithfulness. God is good through and through and no one is good but God. Mark 10:18 “And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” God is compassionate and satisfies those in need out of His goodness. He offers hope and refuge. All of God’s children experience His goodness even when bad things happen. God promises in Romans 8:28 “ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

How do you see God’s goodness in your life? Do you feel the compassion of others towards you and find things work out for good even when it looks bleak? I have found that in tough circumstances I need to trust God even more as I can’t see why the dark threads of my life are needed. Someday I will understand and see God was building my character and was planning good for me. I claim Jeremiah 29:11 over my life “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God’s plans are good and I need to walk in trust fearlessly day by day!

May God’s goodness overflow towards you today.

Linda

Old or New Testaments, Jesus is Worthy

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On this last day before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, I am thinking about his resolve and determination to face the events that would transpire in the last week of his life. What courage and love it must have taken to head towards Jerusalem with the cross looming before him. For today I have chosen a psalm filled with joy and thanksgiving as we anticipate the shouting crowd, the humble Savior and the willing donkey too.

Psalm 100  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing! Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. , Ephesians 4:17-20 “but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

3  Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Ephesians 2:20 ‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” John 10:14-15 “ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. “

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

5 For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” 1 John 4:8 “ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.“

Whether in the Old or New Testaments the story of our God is consistent. He is glorious and worthy of our praise and worship. He is our God and Savior and there is none that can compare to Him. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can rejoice in my God and Savior.

Blessings as you enter into Holy Week and may your journey down the Palm Sunday road be filled with praise.

Linda

 

Prayer with Confidence and Purpose

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November 9, 2022

Have you ever thought about answered prayer? We love to see our prayers answered in just the way we envision them but often God surprises us with His answers. Most times, I have found, God uses unusual ways to answer all or part of our requests. We see the truth of Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” We know that God is faithful, hears our requests and will answer His way which will be good for us and bring Him glory. Today’s verse of thanks comes from 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. Paul is relating to the Corinthians believers the perilous situation they encountered while in Asia and thanked them for praying. “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Paul does not know how God will resolve this situation but He has confidence in Him. He asks the believers to pray so that many will give thanks on their behalf. Not only will they be blessed but so will the ones who pray. When you pray for someone, you are lifting them up before God seeking His help to provide for them in some special way. When that prayer is answered, you are blessed and your faith is affirmed. Even in the praying you are blessed as a peace or comfort comes upon you as you pray with faith. Paul knew the believers would be blessed and gave thanks ahead of time for their faithfulness.

Who do you know today that is in a situation of some kind and is in need of divine assistance? Will you lift them before God and seek His intervention on their behalf? Paul tells us that you will be blessed for your faithful prayer and so will the one who is prayed for. Claim Philippians 4:19 in your heart as you pray. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God knows what is needed and will supply the answer in His way in His time just as He promises.

A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I can be assured that all things are working together for good. Romans 8:28 states this promise to all believers. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Here are a few things to consider about this promise: God is sovereign and there is nothing beyond His control. 2 Chronicles 20:6 “and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.” God is good and intends only good things for me. Lamentations 3:25 “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” God has a purpose to which He has call each of us. 2 Timothy 1:9 “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” God’s ways are not our ways and He achieves His desires. Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”

Being assured of these facts from God’s Word, claim this promise with confidence and let it give peace to your heart and mind. Pray with confidence knowing that God is sovereign, good, has a plan and will solve things His way that will be good for us and give Him glory.

Linda

Why will you Praise Him today?

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Psalm 100 is one of my favorites. Looking at this through the lens of thankfulness to God- what attributes of God do you see in David’s song?

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Worship the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

I see that David is coming to worship with gladness in his heart and the joy of singing on his lips. His reasons are various: God is God, God is creator of all heaven and earth, we belong to Him, He is our shepherd, we can come into His presence to worship Him, God is good, His love is unfailing and unending and God is forever faithful generation to generation. Join David in praise and worship today of Almighty God. There is much to be thankful for!

Linda

God’s Character Revealed

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And the journey continues…Nahum. This short book in the Old Testament was written by Nahum the prophet. Like Jonah he was called to give a message from God to Assyria. Years earlier God sent Jonah to call the people of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, to repentance. They had repented and God had postponed their destruction. They had been an evil people practicing extreme cruelty towards others and had taken the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity. God had promised revenge upon those who used and abused His people. So the time for their downfall has arrived and Nahum tells how God will destroy them because of their sinful ways. In the midst of these 3 short chapters there are some nuggets that speak of God’s great character and promises of hope in the future for those who trust in Him.

Nahum 1:2-7 2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
    the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
    and keeps wrath for his enemies. God does not allow those who love Him to be taken advantage of and not avenged. He is the one who will right wrongs and take care of our enemies. This biblical truth is given many other places in scripture. See Deuteronomy 32:41-43,Isaiah 35:4, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30.

3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
    and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
    and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
    he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither;
    the bloom of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him;
    the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
    the world and all who dwell in it. Here Nahum speaks of the sovereign control God has over His creation. He describes God’s character as being longsuffering, patient but just in the face of sin.

6 Who can stand before his indignation?
    Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
    and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
7 The Lord is good,
    a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him. God is God and no one can stand against Him and His power. Verse 7 is one of my favorites as it extols the goodness of God for all who believe and take refuge in Him!

In 1:15 Nahum tells of good news to come. The coming destruction of Assyria was good news to the people of Judah who had been threatened and abused by them. The good news also foreshadows the coming of Jesus who brought good news for all mankind. Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him
    who brings good news,
    who publishes peace!
Keep your feasts, O Judah;
    fulfill your vows,
for never again shall the worthless pass through you;
    he is utterly cut off.

What can we learn from this ancient prophesy? We know that the destruction of the Assyrian empire was historically accomplished at the hands of the Babylonians years after this prophesy was written. God’s word was true and accurate and shows how God’s will will be accomplished as He says. The words within Nahum show us more about God’s holy character and how He is mighty, sovereign, holy and all powerful. It also gives us assurance that God will avenge wrongs done towards those who follow Him in faith and shows His love and care for each believer. I cling to the truth of verse 7- God is good and in Him I will find refuge as He cares for me! Amidst the destruction and unleashing of God’s wrath towards their unrepentant sin, we see hope and restoration for those who believe in Him– Jesus. He is the ultimate good news of God that brings love, peace, hope, forgiveness and life eternal in Him. John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Thank you Jesus.

May you have a clearer vision of who God is and what He has done for you through Jesus.

Linda

Word for the Year, What’s Yours?

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Each year I pray and ask God for a word to guide me. Last year, as we began a new decade I was given the word Hope. I wrote these words on January 1,2020 which turned out to be very prophetic. “HOPE.  That is my answer to, How will I survive in 2020?  I will cling to Him in HOPE knowing with absolute faith that God is faithful, loving and merciful.  He will be gracious to me as I place my HOPE in Him.” Wow! No truer words did I need and live through during 2020. It was a year that I needed extreme Hope to survive!

This year I have been asking God about a new word for 2021. The word that has come to me over and over is JOY. God knows there is a need within me after all that has happened in 2020 to focus on His joy in my life. His joy is not dependent upon the world events, personal relationships or my own drama of life but in Him alone. As I wrote in my new book, Strategic Living, His joy brings benefits to our souls, is eternal and complete. His joy is a byproduct of the Holy Spirit’s work within us, the fruits of the Spirit are listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

The verses I’ve chosen to claim this year are: Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life;  in your presence there is fullness of joy;  at your right hand are  pleasures forevermore.” Jesus is at God’s right hand in heaven and He will guide me and give me complete joy that is eternal. Psalm 71:23 “My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you;  my soul also, which you have redeemed.” I am confident God will give me opportunities to proclaim to others His goodness in my life. James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Learning to live in joy, praising God and thanking Him for the growth He is bringing to my character in and through the trials of life takes a new attitude and mindset that is filled with His Joy!

Prayerfully consider in this New Year what word God would give you to focus and guide your thoughts this year. As the year progresses, you can look for your word in the events of your life, in relationships and in your thoughts. It is amazing the ways God shows you your word throughout the year. I am so thankful for the word Hope and how it reminded and sustained me in 2020. I am looking forward to clinging to the Joy that is before me in Christ. Nehemiah summed it up in Nehemiah 8:10 “And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Since I’ve chosen Joy as my word, I will be blogging in January on various verses that focus on the joy we have in Christ. God is leading me to be uplifted and to uplift others in His joy. I am looking forward to it!

Linda

Thanksgiving Day 24: Wow! God! There is none like YOU!

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Psalm 34: 7-10 hold many truths about God that cause my heart to sing praises to Him with thanksgiving.

The angel of the Lord encamps God protects.
    around those who fear him, and delivers them. God delivers. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! God is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! God is our refuge.
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, God is to be revered.
    for those who fear him have no lack! God provides abundantly.
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; God is tireless.
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. God wants us to seek Him and promises to provide all we truly need.

Who is like God? No one or nothing can compare to the riches we have in Jesus. God is our provider, protector, a refuge in times of trouble, giver of all good things and tireless on our behalf. Do not these wonderful truths about God cause you to be thankful and want to praise and worship Him? He desires that we experience His love and goodness and have a relationship with Him.

Share your love for God with someone this season out of a heart filled with thanksgiving.

Linda