All tagged good
I was lifted up by the message and scripture of my devotional reading today. The scripture reading that blessed me so immensely was from 2nd Corinthians. And, as I read this scripture, the words of my devotional reading this morning echoed in them. They spoke to me of Jesus being the pattern of prayer, selfless, and the great intercessor who stands at the right hand of God... In this I could see a lesson in how we should all pray for others… it was a lesson in love, and in comforting others.
Today my devotional reading was on a subject I am very familiar with... Praying for those in authority. From world leaders to leaders of our various countries, communities, churches, businesses, and families, we are instructed to pray for them. Whether they are good or bad, righteous or sinful, we are meant to pray for them all.
I read two different devotionals each day and I write my thoughts surrounding them in these early morning devotional messages and prayers. But, today is different; I am taking the time to pass on my thoughts regarding a book I have been reading as well. Have you ever heard the expression "time is money"? It is a common saying that I have heard and repeated most of my life. Today I thought of it again as I read Galatians 6:10 and wondered if time isn’t also good… is time the thing that measures how much good we can do in life?
Does what we do in practice affect who we are or will become? Or, is who we are inside the sole determinate of what we do? This is an interesting question dealing with works, faith, and their interaction... But it is also a developmental question for us as Christians. In seeking the answer to this question I enjoyed reading the words of Pastor E. M. Bounds who wrote..."It was the inner character, not the outward appearance of men like Abraham, Job, David, Moses and others, that had such great influence with God in the biblical days. Today, it is not so much our words, but what we really are that counts for much in our praying. At the same time, character affects conduct to a far greater extent and has a superior influence over prayer. Our inner lives give color to our praying."
Goodness is our topic for consideration this morning. Let’s explore goodness and see how it relates to our faith and holiness. There are people who do good things and are considered good people, but have no, or very little, faith. There are people who have faith, but don't do good in their lives, and finally, there are those of faith who in their holiness do good many things. Which of these do we envision ourselves to be?
07/09/2024
This morning we are contemplating the delays and denials we experience in prayer, but even more, we will visit the courage and persistence needed in such times. My morning devotional reading described these occurrences in prayer using these words:
Have you given up everything you are to Jesus Christ? It is easy to lay down the sin, and bad things in our lives, but have you also laid down the good? Abandoning those things that we naturally identify as good is the most profound test of our faith. Being able to leave behind anything that is contrary in order to immerse ourselves in God’s will for us is the epitome of faithfulness and obedience.
This morning I am examining my life to determine if I am presuming to know when and how God will enter into my affairs. I am trying to decide if I am attempting to control my circumstances, or if I am trusting in God. Have I been limiting His access to my life without fully realizing that He will interact with me at His good pleasure?
Are we feeling particularly blessed, and think that God has set us atop the world? Well, don’t get too comfortable there because the Lord sends us into solitary places, places that seem contrary to our service to Him, and there, in a sorrowful state, a lowly existence, He feeds us, and increases us in our faith. We were doing everything He asked, and leading a righteous life to glorify Him, when suddenly we are struck lame, made sick, suffered the death of a loved one, lost all that we have worked so hard for, or perhaps had a beloved child walk away from God, and we find ourselves in a wilderness, or alone beside the brook Cherith… humbled and unable to feed ourselves. Have we been there? Has the sunny day we have been enjoying suddenly darkened and a storm settled over us?
Do we find ourselves financially wealthy, or having many possessions, but despite all of this we are unhappy, or feel empty inside? Do we run at life, and do many wonderful things, but despite all of our efforts remain chained to a longing, or need we can’t explain or fill? These are the symptoms of a hungry soul. We feel this way when we fill our stomachs with food, and our days with nourishing things for our minds, but starve our souls to death. we go about feeding our bodies and minds, but only God can satisfy the longings, and the overwhelming hunger of our soul.
As Christians we are told, and like, to do good things for those around us. In obeying God by doing good, we often mistake one another as being good, and we say such things as “He is a good man”, or “She is such a good person.”, but if Jesus would not let the rich young man call him good, then how can we possibly refer to one another in this way? Jesus was making a distinction between the act of doing good, and actually being good. We, like Jesus, are doers of good; not actually the embodiment of good, which is limited to God alone.
We are tempted to believe that what we have in the world is good, and that it is all we need, but that is simply not true. The earth and everything in it is fleeting, and is never truly ours. So why is it that we value it so much? Why do we surround ourselves with what the world offers us, and treat it as if it were perfect, or even good, when in fact we will die, and all we have accumulated will be lost? In this life the things we have will disappoint us. God’s gifts are always good, and perfect; they never lose their value, and are always glorifying Him as we use them. They are unchanging, and eternal in every way.
How do we begin and end each day? Do we open our eyes with praise and thanksgiving on our lips? Do we do this in the hard to times as well as the good? Relationships are built from constant attention, but they are made strong in times of hardship, sorrow, and suffering. In times like this we see what is true about our love as we lean on a friend, or share in a disappointment. Praising God is not meant to be a “Happy Time Only” event, and requires discipline as we come to Him EVERY day, and in ALL things.
When God says something is good it is good, and when He says it is perfect that is true too. So it is that we strive to do good things because we seek to imitate the goodness of God, and we are confidant we can be good, but why is it that when we are told to be perfect we quake with fear, feeling that perfection is beyond our ability? We fear perfection even though scripture tells us there are others who have been perfect. So, if only God is good, but others have been perfect, then why do we feel that we can actually be called good, but never perfect?
Some believe that we should obey God simply because He expects us to, and in some cases it appears to us that this is His desire, but later, in retrospect, we find that what God asked of us, His will, was for our ultimate good all along. Our Heavenly Father is not arbitrary, and all that he does, and asks, is for a purpose; for our good. Thus the question becomes this... do we trust in Him enough to do those things He asks of us even when we don’t fully understand, or see the good in them?