11.m.”The Lord is good”

Nahum 1:7  The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

1 Chronicles 16:34     Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalms 25:8    Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

Psalms 100:5     For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Lamentations 3:25    The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Romans 11:22   Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

Do you think about the “Good of our Lord and Savior”?  I am sure thoughts about His saving grace, mercy, forgiveness, and promise of forever with Him in eternity are present most days.  But the “Good or our Savior” is more than that.  He has given us each talent to use.  These talents allow us to fix, repair, build, grow, lead, and apply knowledge.  These are not burdens but often we fall into the trap of calling them a burden.  We say things like “I have to” do something rather than thanking God for the talents that allow us to say “I get to” do something.  These talents are not a burden, they are God’s gift to us.  He has given us abilities that help us and certainly can be used to help others.  These abilities are not “I have to’s” but “I get to’s”.  When we have thoughts of our abilities as having to use them we won’t have a mindset to be thanking God for them.  We will have thoughts of them being a burden and our heart for whatever the task is will not be giving God praise and thanks.  Granted some of our gifts will get us dirty, tired, and mentally exhausted as we use them.  It sure makes the task or job much more meaningful to do when we “get to” use our gifts rather than “have to”.  Each of us has been given both physical and spiritual gifts.  In these gifts of abilities and talents, we have a great opportunity to thank and honor God by how we use them and how we think about “Getting to” use them.  When have you taken a mental inventory of all the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given you?  When we are mindful of them it is a good foundation for putting honor and glory and thankfulness in to “Getting to us them”.

Remember and Rejoice

“ I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,”

Psalms 70:4  May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

Psalms 5:11    But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

Psalms 35:27    Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

Psalms 40:16   But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!”

Psalms 97:12     Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Isaiah 65:13  Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame;  behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit.

Lamentations 3:25    The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

Remembering who God is and the blessings that come from Him alone are the reasons for rejoicing. Those who seek Him will find Him and be blessed.  Their heart will see reasons to rejoice and be glad.  On the other hand those who do not seek Him will not find Him and will not have joy or peace or gladness in their heart.  These are the ones we are to show God’s love.  These are the ones we are to pray for.  These are the ones who we can be used by God to reach.  Remember we too were just like them, lost and without hope.  Rejoice in God and be willingly to be used by Him.