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How to focus on the goodness of God |
by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
When we don’t get our way about something, or we experience
a bad situation, our minds don’t think about the goodness of our heavenly
Father.
Our humanity defaults to negative thinking unless we make the effort to turn our thoughts the opposite direction. Much like we change the channel on the TV when the broadcast is not favorable, we can flip the switch on thoughts.
Despite the fallen world we live in, God made a way for His
love to shine through and show us His mercy and grace. He is not the author of
disaster, He is the answer to our ability to overcome.
The Bible contains numerous verses that reveal the goodness
of God. When these Scriptures are scattered through the Word, we don’t always
see how many times the benevolence of the Lord is recorded for us.
Here are 6 verses that show us how to focus on the goodness of God all the time.
The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. (Exodus 34:6
NKJV)
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His
truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy
endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and
He knows those who trust in Him. (Nahum 1:7)
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance,
and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to
repentance? (Romans 2:4)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow
of turning. (James 1:17)
This is a short list because there are so many instances of
God’s compassion poured out on His people. A good exercise would be to create a
notebook with as many Scriptures as you desire about God’s love and goodness. I
have several notebooks regarding various subject such as fear, envy, or
conquering offense. These can uplift us when we struggle through difficult
seasons.
We don’t understand everything we go through in this life. Tragic circumstances can overwhelm us. We hurt and we want to know why. But we do have the reassurance our heavenly Father is always with us to comfort and guide us.
Instead of perusing our heartache, we can meditate on what
the Lord has already done and will do for us again.
The Psalmist shows us in Psalm 27:13 how God’s goodness is
all around us. It is up to us to focus on Him and not whatever plagues our
lives.
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the
Lord in the land of the living.
We are transformed when we renew our minds with God’s
promises (Romans 12:1–2).
What Scriptures would you add to this list? Join the
conversation and share your thoughts.
This video from Barry Bennett, instructor at Charis Bible
College, gives more insight into how to see God’s goodness. https://youtu.be/_zdipDGo23E?si=Rt_Tv45w3RCn-4vS
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Image by Berkan
Küçükgül from Pixabay
Barbara, what a much needed reminder to avoid the cliche, "God is good" -often used following a statement about good news for our circumstances. Those listening who have not had a good outcome for the same situation are led to believe God is not always good--or good to them. God IS good as you cited in the Bible verses. His goodness is not dependent on positive circumstances in our lives or answers to prayer. I have discovered His goodness in faithfulness and grace in some of the most difficult experiences. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this:"His goodness is not dependent on positive circumstances in our lives or answers to prayer." Yes, His goodness is always present. We just don't always see it because we look at what may be negative instead of seeking God. Blessings!
DeleteThank you for sharing these reassuring verses to remind us of God's goodness. We are so blessed!
ReplyDeleteWe are truly blessed. Thanks for sharing, Katherine. Blessings!
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