Good Things Come Together

Have you ever been trying to do a good thing, but you faced some obstacles. Then someone else is also trying to do a good thing, and their efforts facilitate the good work you are trying to do. God is the master of bringing good things together to do awesome works. He is able to combine His love with His righteousness to lead us in the way of peace and faithfulness.

Psalm 85:10-12 says, “Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Yes, the Lord will give what is good.” God offers steadfast love and is faithful to every promise He has made. We should respond with faithfulness. God grants us righteousness which gives us peace as we walk in His ways. These good gifts all come together as we trust God and abide in Him.

No Good Thing Withheld

I am a father and grandfather. As such, I would never withhold any good gift that I had within my resources and power to give to both my children and grandchildren. Love does that to a person. We want to give everything we can to those whom we love.

Psalm 84:11-12 says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you.” God will give us every good thing if we will follow Jesus and walk in His ways. His love is greater than any love we can imagine. Out of His steadfast and eternal love for His children, He will give us every good gift, as this is within His power to do. He promises to be the Light to lead us and the shield to protect us.

Love With Discernment

Most of the time I love my habits and routine behaviors. Knowing that things are in the right place and that certain things will invariably occur is comforting in many situations. Inevitably every day I am faced with making decisions and forced to rely on discernment rather than routine habits. It is at these times that I can get myself into trouble. You see, discernment is the ability to accurately evaluate good and bad, or right and wrong. Sometimes I wonder why I made the wrong choice. But looking back on this particular situation, I find that I have frequently made the wrong choice in similar situations. For good discernment to grow, we must practice making the right choices. Maturity and godliness comes from righteous discernment practiced over time.

Philippians 1:9-10 says, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent.” Discernment is the ability to distinguish right from wrong and good from bad. The ability to accurately discern people and situations increases with practice. Practice discerning good and bad on a daily basis and as you mature in godliness, you will reap the benefit of making good choices.

Refuge In the Shadow of God’s Wings

Sometimes the stresses and troubles of the world become too much for us. We want to find some escape and leave it all behind. Some of us take vacations and expect to find relief, at least for a while. Some of us delve into our work or our hobbies to find escape. But once we return to “real” life, the stresses and troubles are still there. Where can we find a reliable and lasting refuge?

Psalm 36:7-8 says, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.” Out of His great love for us, God provides the only lasting and true refuge from the world’s stresses and troubles. He chooses to set a table for us to feast and drink the abundance of His delights. However, we still must choose to accept His refuge and taste of His delights on a moment by moment basis.

Redeem

When I was little I used to love to collect soft drink bottles and take them to the liquor store. At the store, they would give me money in return for the bottles. Then I would promptly spend my earnings buying candy. This process is called redemption. All of us were lost without hope, living apart from and far from God. God created the redemption process for our souls. He sacrificed His own Son, who paid the redemption price through His sacrificed life and blood. Now we can receive this redemption through trusting God with our lives and living as God’s redeemed children.

Psalm 77:13-15 says, “You way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made know your might among the peoples. You with your arm redeemed your people.” Our God is unique and cannot be matched in holiness, wonder working power, or might. He has redeemed us by paying the price for our souls and making us into His people.