Thanks for sharing your “love stories” about God this week! I love hearing other people talk about His goodness.
Week One we addressed things that threaten our faithfulness to God. I had us narrow down that list of things and focused on idleness and idolatry.
For Week Two, I wanted us to spend some time reflecting on the goodness and presence of God throughout our lives. Too often I start to think that God has been missing in action and I start looking for Him in burning bushes and messages written in the sky. I forget that every minute of every day God is constantly working ALL things for my good and His glory.
In order to pull myself out of those moments of forgetfulness, I take some time to reflect on what I know to be true of God and the evidence of those truths in my life. I look back at the times when God provided for me and I remember that He is God, my Provider. I look back at the times when God delivered me and I remember that He is God, my Deliverer. I look back at all He has done on my behalf and that allows me to look ahead with a full expectation that He will do it all again. He will never forsake me. He will never forget about me.
He won’t run out of favor for me. He still has plans and purpose for me. He is still wildly in love with me. God never tires of pursuing me with His love, mercy, kindness and provision.
Remembering those things about God leads my heart to rejoice and worship.
I hate that I forget! So, how do I live with a constant awareness of the nearness of God? I remember!
I remember what His word says about Him.
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” – Deuteronomy 7:9
I remember and then I rejoice.
- Remember and rejoice that God saved you by the Holy Spirit. He opened your heart to the reality of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
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Remember and rejoice that God is sovereign over all things. There is nothing in this world that is not subject to God’s control and authority. The restoration of this world, our lives, our situations and our families is not on our shoulders. It all rests on His shoulders and it all responds to His command. Psalm 135:6, “The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.“
- Remember and rejoice that God finishes EVERYTHING He begins.
Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” The calling He has on you and your life, He hasn’t forgotten about that! He is not done sanctifying you. He has not abandoned the work He started in you or your family members. We have not been abandoned to wrestle with sin by ourselves, we have not been abandoned to deal with dark days and we have not been abandoned to walk through hard things on our own. Nothing separates us from God’s plans for our completion.
A strong assurance of these things produces an unshakeable hope within us! That hope inspires us to rejoice!
We remember, we rejoice and we ask God to restore.
We ask Him to restore the joy of our salvation. We ask Him to restore our hunger and thirst for more of Him. We ask Him to restore the vision He planted in us. We ask Him to restore our faith in His promises. We ask Him to restore our purpose.
And then we charge full speed into this summer (and into all that God has for us)!
Spend some time meditating on the goodness of our God this week!
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