Seeing Goodness
Thursday, September 3, 2020 Good morning, Lord V.O.D.: Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:13-14 M.O.M.: Psalm 27:13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Today's reading: Psalm 143-145 1 Corinthians 14:21-40
Seeing The Goodness
Do you have a hard time being absolutely confident in yourself? How about absolute confidence in God? This has a lot to do with things we carry all our lives from early conditioning. Things we heard when we were young from folks in our family or community do stick in our minds forever. Yes, they are overcome in time with persistance but the words are still there and lay in wait to be brought up by the enemy to slow us up.
Before King David was a king and a young herder, you hear his brother say to him, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”(1 Samuel 17) Shortly after this, David killed Goliath. We know at least one of David's brothers who was jealous of David and spoke harsh words to David that lived in his mind forever. Still, David was the most successful warrior-King that Israel ever had.
But look in the Psalms at David's writings. Many times we hear David speak words of depression and fear but he always returns to the heart of God. (Acts 13:22-"I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.")
God knew David's heart and what was going through David's mind and what doubts David had about himself and also knew that of which David was capable.
God knows what goes on in our minds but also knows what we can do if we let Him work through us.
In Psalm 27:10, David says, "Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me." David knew deep in his heart that God was always there for him. He could hear the badgering of negative words from early in his life and the current 'nay-sayers' but he knew after all was said and done that God had him in His hand. "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13
Seeing God's goodness here and now with all the negatives of this current world and whatever we may carry from earlier life is a choice we have to make every day. We must set our face like flint-make up our resolve to know God is at work perfecting His joy in us. FOR THE LORD GOD HELPS ME, THEREFORE, I AM NOT DISGRACED; THEREFORE, I HAVE SET MY FACE LIKE FLINT, AND I KNOW THAT I SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED. Isaiah 50:7 11"I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.…"John 15:11, 12
Have you determined to see the goodness of the Lord in the here and now?
"How do I do that?", you ask. You do it. You and I really have nothing outside our trust and love from and for God. Plain and simple. If that statement bothers you, count that all joy. Your desire exists-the desire to trust God with all you are and the desire to love God with all you have is in there. It needs to be incessantly exercised in a routine of discipleship.
Nothing will substitute for deep prayer, meditation, Bible study, and whatever else the Spirit of God leads you into. The operative word here is 'leads'.
God leads when you decide to follow. He empowers those who follow without reservation. He empowers us knowing our doubts and fears that may crop up from everywhere. Our eyes must be 'trained' on Him as He leads us through this 'mine-field' of negatives and He will plant our feet on His ground of righteous positives.
Why? His love endures forever...His love endures all things.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven, Forgive me for listening to the negatives. Guide me to the place where I am determined to see Your goodness. In the name of Jesus, Amen