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Scripture:
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:10-11)Reflection:
God’s goodness is not defined on how you see your situation.
“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5 NIV)God’s goodness is not based on what He does whether you see it or not. It doesn’t even depend on what you are experiencing right now. It’s basically who He is and He never changes.
Not focusing on God’s goodness is the major cause of stress in our life.
Leah could have praised God when she had received her first born, but she was only able to when he had borne her fourth son. "And she conceived again and bore a son and said, 'This time I will praise the Lord.' Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing." (Genesis 29:35 NASB) Leah focused on her affliction, "Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, 'Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.'" (Genesis 29:32 NASB) and lack of love. "Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, 'Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.' So she named him Simeon." (Genesis 29:33 NASB) when she bore 3 sons.She thought that it’s because of her situation that God blessed her. God truly sees our needs & provides for us. Sometimes what we expect is just different from what God gives. Not meeting our expectations doesn’t affect God’s goodness in our life. If we do not acknowledge God in everything that we have (including sufferings) we fail to recognize and experience His goodness in our life. Whether you thank Him or not, His goodness will never pass away because again, God never changes.
God’s goodness doesn’t depend on how good or bad you are.
"...so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45 NASB) (loving your enemies)Good and bad people live in the same earth, and breathe the same air. Jesus even died for those who aren’t good for He gave His life for everyone. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16 ESV). Truly our God is good and gracious. This however is not a reason for us to do evil because if we do, we are turning his Grace into licentiousness. "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:4 ESV). Paul said "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2 ESV)
No one is exempted in this pandemic that we are experiencing right now even the nicest persons that I know are affected. But the Bible tells us to rejoice even during our sufferings "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5). Peter even described that these sufferings are necessary. "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Nevertheless, because we know Him, then we have hope; we know that God, who is sovereign is a good God. We don’t have hope if God isn’t good. "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:13-14)
The Goodness we experience from God is the same goodness that we should express to others
We learned last Sunday that though love is like a river, not loving also is. Sarah’s lack of love affected how her sons grew up. If we know this, we can avoid judging others who are not loving. We will understand them instead, because we know that people who are not loving lack love.
Now that we know about God’s goodness, then we should also let that goodness flow from our life. Jesus is God’s great expression of His goodness. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:10-11 ESV). He is the good shepherd who gave His life for us. Jesus Christ showed and demonstrated to us the way we should have followed, the truth that we should have believed in, and the life that we should have lived. Let us walk in the Love of God through Jesus’ example. "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV)
Photo by: Jaime Legaspino
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