Sticking To Us

Some things are inherently sticky. Glue is made to stick things together, although it seems for me that it always sticks the wrong things together. Our reputations seem to follow us wherever we go. Our values and beliefs also stick with us and are reflected in our actions.

Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” God’s goodness is more than the moral quality of righteousness, it includes His generosity, kindness, and desire to benefit His children. His goodness is always with us and active upon our lives. Today, trust in our good God and look for His goodness upon your life.

Waters Move

One of my favorite things that I love about hiking in nature, is the variety and beauty of bodies of water. Rivers flow and waves visit the shores of lakes and seas. Yet, the waters still take me to a place of peace. Rarely, are the waters perfectly still, but the sounds and sights calm my soul in the midst of my troubles.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Our minds and hearts will not be at peace when our mind is struggling with the problems and struggles of this world. But when we remember our always faithful and Almighty God, then peace floods our soul. Let’s put our troubles in the hands of God and trust that He loves us enough to work all things together for good.

Adoption Into God’s Family

We have one grandson who was adopted into our family when he was a baby. I can’t imagine what life would be without this grandson. He has provided hours of entertainment, loads of fun, tons of love, and barrels of proud moments. We are so grateful for the honor of being his grandparents.

Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” It is an amazing thought that God loved us and adopted us into His family even before the foundation of the world. By the sacrifice of His Son for our sins, we are made holy and blameless before Him. Now we should walk in holiness by His power and through our love for Him.

Right Spirit

What happens when we do something that we really don’t want to do? Many times the end result does not match expectations. Perhaps, the quality is not what we wanted to produce or we are just not satisfied with the experience nor the end result.

In John 4:23-24 Jesus is quoted as saying, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Worship is not confined to a building, but rather, it takes place in the heart and soul of the worshiper. Worship is motivated by the truth of who God is and what He does. When we sincerely love God, we will desire to be in His presence through worship.

Goes With Us

We go through some experiences that feel better when someone close goes with us. It may be a doctor’s appointment that we feel some anxiety about. It may be some thrilling adventure that we want to share with a loved one. We may want someone to go with us when we are trying to resolve some conflict. How great would it be to have “goodness” go with us, so that we know that whatever occurs, something about the experience will be good.

In Exodus 33:19, God tells Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name, ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to who I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” When we receive mercy and grace, it is because God has chosen to give us mercy and grace. He continually reveals His character to us and makes His goodness go with us.