Skip to main content

Thankful for God's Goodness


Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5)


            More reasons to give thanks. God is good. Yes, He is moral and righteous. He is also good in the sense that batteries are "good" - He is capable of doing what a God is supposed to do. This is the problem with so many of the other "gods." They are not only described as being as morally corrupt as the most corrupt of people, but they could not be trusted to function in the way that gods were supposed to function. God pointed out the badness of the other gods frequently - they have eyes but they do not see, ears but they do not hear. God showed the "badness" or uselessness of the Egyptian gods. I've recently listened to I Samuel 5, in which God revealed the inability of Dagon to protect himself, and to II Kings 16 (one of my many favorites), in which God and Elijah show the uselessness of Baal. On the other hand, in those same instances and many others, God shows that He is capable.
            Another reason to thank Him is because His love endures forever and His faithfulness endures forever. I have had people who claimed to care for me turn and walk away without a glance back because I did something they decided was unforgivable. I've walked away from people who have done something unforgivable - for a long time, without even realizing what it was they had done or why I thought it unforgivable. It's a good thing that God doesn't do that because we'd all be in trouble if He did.
           I suspect that most people are like me. There are times - sometimes extended periods of time - when I am unpleasant, uncooperative, impolite, inconsiderate, hateful, disrespectful...ugly in just about any way you care to describe it. Sometimes, the problem is with the beholder, but often the problem is with me. Someone who sticks by me  when I am the ugliest person I can be deserves to be thanked and praised. There I times when I so ugly I go to God to have a "Your daughter" talk. "God, do You know what Your daughter has done? Do You know what she is doing? What are You going to do about it?"
           The answer is that He is going to love and be faithful, in whatever form that needs to take for His daughter's health, safety, sanity, and maturity. Sometimes it's a hug. Sometimes, it's a time out. Sometimes, it's being grounded or having privileges taken away. Sometimes, it's a spanking. Once, He sent His Son, who in my place. Love and faithfulness do that.  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In the sky:
Full Moon (Beaver Moon, Super Moon, closest and biggest it's been in years. )

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more