God's Goodness

Today I want to praise God for His goodness, even though I'm not sure how to do it.

There are many ways I know that God is good. Here are just a few reasons:

1. I know His character and He can be nothing but good.
2. His Word tells me of His goodness.
3. I've experienced it millions of times in my own life.

And God HAS been so good to us this week even amidst some rocky times.  But since I have to be real and honest here because so many people are watching us go through this, I have to say that right now it is HARD to experience His goodness in our lives.  That may not make sense to you if you have not gone through a really tough time in your life, but I'm pretty sure everyone has so maybe you can understand a little what I'm saying.

For one thing, when you are going through a really tough time you kind of get used to riding that "wave" of bad stuff.  You have to or you will fall apart in the midst of it.  Some of you have been riding that wave like we have for many months or even years.  Others are just getting in the ocean and see that wave coming.  

This week we had some tough times emotionally and some really good things happening all at the same time. Maybe it is just me, but my heart sometimes tries to toughen up when we start experiencing good things because I'm afraid it won't last and I will have to be strong for the tough waves to follow.   My humanness is showing.

When I read my devotionals today they were both reminding me that God is good.  Even the most specific things it mentioned were things that I am thankful for while being home.  

From Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, 

You can find God not only in beauty and birdcalls, but also in tragedy and faces filled with grief. Jesus can take the deepest sorrow and weave it into a pattern for good.  (change of pronouns to names mine)

Of course one of the verses to read with that was Romans 8:28 NLT

And we know that God causes everything to work together for THE good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 
(capitalization mine)

It wasn't until I was an adult that I took note of  the important syntax of the word THE in that verse. It does NOT say that everything will work out good. (Besides, if that was the case it would have to work out well)  It says it will work out for THE good of the person who loves God and is living as His disciple.   I think I've talked before here about how what God sees as our good and what we think is our good may be two different things.  It is all about us getting to know HIM better and becoming more like HIM.

The other passage I read was from Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts.  From the reading A Perpetual Fountain of Glory on pages 48 and 49. Here is an excerpt:

But look to Me, and I will be your beacon in the night, and you will not stumble over the hidden things. You will walk in a way of victory though turmoil is on either hand, even as Israel marched through the Red Sea on a path My hand hewed out for them. Yes, it shall be a path of deliverance, and My Spirit shall go with you, and you shall carry the glad tiding of deliverance to people that sit in darkness and captivity.

Tarry not for a convenient time. The movings of the Spirit are never convenient to the interests of the flesh, and I shall engineer your circumstances to conform to My plan and My will. You will glorify Me; for My plan for you excels all other ways, and in the center of My will is a perpetual fountain of glory.

Do not doubt or hesitate, for I the Lord your God go before you. You already have My promise that the work I begin I am able to carry through to completion.

Yes, there is already laid up an exceeding weight of glory for those who go through with Me and determine to seize the prize. For I have wealth beyond your fondest dreams to bestow upon those who have left all to follow Me. All the glittering enticements of this transient life are as chaff in comparison, for God's gifts and calling never waver, and My giving is restricted only by the will and choice of the recipient.

__________

Lord, Jesus, , I cast myself at Your feet. Let me bathe them in tears, for my feet have been like lead. they have been weighed down with the cares of this life. I have been like one in a dream who seeks to run and is held paralyzed.

Set me free, Omnipotent Lord, and make me Your glad and willing bond slave. Free my feet and make them swift to do Your bidding. Loose my tongue to shout Your praise. Free my heart to love the lost with the great deep compassion of Jesus Christ. Free my affections and nail them to Your cross! Amen

Now, I realize that these are not Scriptures.  These are not really direct words from God to me and we need to be careful not to believe that words written by mere men ARE Scripture.  But the imagery in them speaks to me this week, even this day. 

Almost every dream I ever have has me frozen in my steps from being able to do the thing I wish to do in the dream.  I feel paralyzed just like the prayer at the end of the passage says.  That is sort of how I feel this week.  I want to praise God for the goodness of what He is doing in our hearts and in Adam's health but my fear of believing it to be permanent paralyzes me.  

Please pray with me that God would loose my tongue to shout His praise along with all of the other actions that the above prayer cries out to God to perform.