TEXT:
‘Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power’ (2 Thessalonians 1:11)
Preachers often say, “God is good”, to which the congregation replies, “All the time!” It’s important to keep this in mind, for it’s easy to allow the pressures and problems of life distort the truth that God is good.
His goodness is the entry point for salvation, for the Bible says, ‘Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?’ (Romans 2:4). How thankful we are when God opens our eyes to see our need of Jesus. Today’s Teaching focusses on how God’s goodness can benefit.
1. Learn to show appreciation – ‘Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Psalm 105:15, 21, 31)
Think how often we complain, when the least thing goes wrong, or even if the weather doesn’t fit into our plans. How much more contented our lives would be if we were more thankful. It would brighten our countenance and boost our health for, ‘A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired’ (Proverbs 17:22 MSG). When life is irritating you, look for something to be thankful for.
2. Learn how to overcome depression – ‘I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living’ (Psalm 27:13)
Too many Christians relegate God’s goodness to what they will experience in heaven. They mistakenly think God is watching over their lives, judging every mistake and causing bad things as a result. Nothing could be further from the truth. David believed he would see the goodness of God while he was living, during the time he was on the run from the persecution of King Saul, barely escaping death several times. He believed in a God who would protect him, bring him through his ordeal and fulfil His promises. That’s why he wrote, ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul … Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him’ (Psalm 42:11). Speaking to yourself, rather than speaking to others about yourself, can help conquer depression. In this life, where there are many things against us, remember God is for us and, ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31).
3. Believe for daily provision – ‘Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You’ (Psalm 31:19)
Daily, we are drawing from what God has stored up for us. Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Give us, this day, our daily bread’ (Matthew 6:11). He challenged the disciples to, ‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need’ (Matthew 6:33 NLT). Jesus reminded them, they were much more valuable than sparrows. If God provided for birds, He would meet their needs too (see Luke 12:22-24). David said, ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Psalm 23:6). Let God’s goodness keep you in church too!
4. Enjoy a complete satisfaction – ‘Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple’ (Psalm 65:4)
We don’t need to look to anyone or anywhere else. The living water Jesus gives means we’ll never thirst again. Salvation is finding the pearl of great price and never needing to look for anything more valuable. When the Children of Israel slipped back into idolatry, it grieved God. ‘For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!’ (Jeremiah 2:13 NLT). The challenge to ministers is to ensure they have well-fed sheep in their churches, satisfied with God’s living word.
5. Expect an ongoing revelation – ‘Please, show me Your glory’ (Exodus 33:18)
God’s response to Moses’ request was, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you’ (Exodus 33:19). ‘And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth’ (Exodus 34:6).
’But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ ( 2 Peter 3:18). We can do this through prayer, reading our bible and fellowshipping with others. The goal is to grow from a baby into adulthood, from being helped to helping others. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will also help us, ‘He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you’ (John 16:14).
6. Remember there will be a completion – ‘You crown the year with Your goodness‘ (Psalm 65:11)
God starts the year with His goodness and ends with it too. His goodness completes what He has started. The Bible says, ‘And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns’ (Philippians 1:6 NLT). The doom-mongers talk about the end of the world through man’s carelessness, but this world will end and a new one begin, when God decides it’s the right time. When Jesus said, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30), it referred to the work of salvation. When the angel said, ‘It is done’ (Revelation 16:17), it referred to the final act of the great tribulation, God’s wrath on the earth. Next would come the return of Christ and eventually a new heaven and earth. This world is not out of control. The One who created it, will ensure once again righteousness will fill the earth!
God is good, all the time! Make sure you enjoy His goodness too!
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