People’s struggles and heartbreaks must be for some good end.”
–Zane Grey (Captives of the Desert)
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”
–Psalm 119:71 (NKJV)
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“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.”
–Romans 8:28(Amplified)
“And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.”
–Romans 8:28(TLB)
Last week I wrote regarding the goodness of God; that He is good. I want to continue in that vein this morning. He is good! I can’t get that out of my mind. I am constantly saying to myself throughout the day and if I wake up at night that God is good. He was good to me yesterday and also my yesteryears. He is good to me today, and I know that He will be good to me tomorrow.
I want to share some thoughts I found in reading Charles Bridges (1794-1869). He was a very renowned minister in England and was one of the leaders of the Evangelical party in the Church of England.
He is good–He is goodness. Good in Himself–good in His essence–good in the highest degree. All the names of God are comprehended in this one of Good. All the acts of God are nothing else but the effluxes of His goodness distinguished by several names according to the object it is exercised about. When He confers happiness without merit, it is grace. When He bestows happiness against merit, it is mercy. When He bears with provoking rebels, it is patience. When He performs His promise, it is truth. When He commiserates a distressed person, it is pity. When He supplies an indigent person, it is bounty. When He supports an innocent person, it is righteousness. And when He pardons a penitent person, it is mercy. All summed up in this one name–Goodness. None so communicatively good as God.
The Psalmist declares, “You are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:68, NKJV) Because God is good to us we should seek to learn more of Him, of His nature, of His character, of His goodness. Because He is good and we belong to Him, we should then seek to do good. (Matthew 5:16) Truly, we cannot be good like the Lord, but through us people should see His goodness because we are good.
It is because He is good that we receive His blessings. It has nothing to do with our goodness. He cares for us, He bestows His goodness. When I think of His goodness I think of all the times He has cared for me; in the good and the bad, He was there and He cared and He was good. The song by Charles Weigle comes to mind:
“If my heart could tell a story
If my life would sing a song
If I have a testimony
If I have anything at all
No one ever cared for me like Jesus
His faithful hand has held me all this way
And when I’m old and grey
And all my days are numbered on the earth
Let it be known in you alone
My joy was found
Oh my joy, my joy.”
God is good–all the time. And all the time–God is good!
—————————————
“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.”
–Romans 8:28(Amplified)
“And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.”
–Romans 8:28(TLB)
Last week I wrote regarding the goodness of God; that He is good. I want to continue in that vein this morning. He is good! I can’t get that out of my mind. I am constantly saying to myself throughout the day and if I wake up at night that God is good. He was good to me yesterday and also my yesteryears. He is good to me today, and I know that He will be good to me tomorrow.
I want to share some thoughts I found in reading Charles Bridges (1794-1869). He was a very renowned minister in England and was one of the leaders of the Evangelical party in the Church of England.
He is good–He is goodness. Good in Himself–good in His essence–good in the highest degree. All the names of God are comprehended in this one of Good. All the acts of God are nothing else but the effluxes of His goodness distinguished by several names according to the object it is exercised about. When He confers happiness without merit, it is grace. When He bestows happiness against merit, it is mercy. When He bears with provoking rebels, it is patience. When He performs His promise, it is truth. When He commiserates a distressed person, it is pity. When He supplies an indigent person, it is bounty. When He supports an innocent person, it is righteousness. And when He pardons a penitent person, it is mercy. All summed up in this one name–Goodness. None so communicatively good as God.
The Psalmist declares, “You are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:68, NKJV) Because God is good to us we should seek to learn more of Him, of His nature, of His character, of His goodness. Because He is good and we belong to Him, we should then seek to do good. (Matthew 5:16) Truly, we cannot be good like the Lord, but through us people should see His goodness because we are good.
It is because He is good that we receive His blessings. It has nothing to do with our goodness. He cares for us, He bestows His goodness. When I think of His goodness I think of all the times He has cared for me; in the good and the bad, He was there and He cared and He was good. The song by Charles Weigle comes to mind:
“If my heart could tell a story
If my life would sing a song
If I have a testimony
If I have anything at all
No one ever cared for me like Jesus
His faithful hand has held me all this way
And when I’m old and grey
And all my days are numbered on the earth
Let it be known in you alone
My joy was found
Oh my joy, my joy.”
God is good–all the time. And all the time–God is good!