December 4 – He Makes It Good

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” - Numbers 23:19 (NASB)

The Book of Numbers in the Bible is well titled. On two occasions 40 years apart a numbering the People of Israel happened. The first at Mount Sinai before Israel was about to enter the Promised Land but then refused to believe God and go into the land. The second numbering happened 40 years later before they actually did enter Canaan. Before that happened Balak the king of Moab, fearing the Israelites, summoned Balaam and hired him to curse Israel. God intervened, and instructed Balaam by giving his donkey the ability to speak. God instructed him to not curse but to bless Israel. When Balaam explained to Balak why he could not curse Israel, he said God had commanded him to bless them. Once given the blessing could not be revoked. Although Balaam was not a worshiper of God, he did understand who the God of Israel was. The words of our verse today were spoken by Balaam to Balak. Balaam knew he would have to do what God commanded and gave a blessing rather than a curse. God cannot lie or go back on His word, even for us today. Numbers 22-23 is the accurate record of what happened. 

  

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October 20 – Called According To Purpose

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 (ESV)

 Our selected verse today is a kind of summary of the promises in Romans 8:1-27. We can fully understand if we view it in light of these verses.

•  For all who are in Christ Jesus there is now no condemnation (verses 1–8).
• All are indwelt by that Spirit who will even raise their bodies (verses 9–11).
• They are assured that they are God’s children, and his heirs (verses 14–16).
• Present suffering for Christ promises one day they will share his glory (verse 18).
• The new heaven and earth are promised and with groaning are looked forward to (verses 19–22).
• They also groan as they eagerly await their promised adoption (verses 23–25).
• In all their weaknesses the Holy Spirit helps them always interceding for them in harmony with God’s will, (verses 26, 27).

 This is in the providence of God which is his purposeful sovereignty by which He will successfully achieve his ultimate goal for the universe. God’s providence puts his plans into action, guides all toward his definitive goal. God sovereignly superintends every event in a believer’s life—even suffering, temptation, and sin—to accomplish our temporal and eternal benefit.

 

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July 12 - Remember Our Good and Merciful God

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Psalm 107:1 (NASB)

“The upright see it and are glad; But all unrighteousness shuts its mouth. Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, And consider the lovingkindnesses of the Lord.” Psalm 107:42-43 (NASB)

The opening line of Psalms 105–107, “Oh give thanks to the Lord,” links together this trilogy of songs which praise God for His goodness and mercy. Most likely this psalm (107) has its origin in the time after the Exile of Israel. It begins declaring the goodness of the Lord and ends reminding us to heed what is said in the song. We find these two themes: 1) praising God for His continual deliverance in verses 4-32 verses, and 2) remembering God’s response to man’s obedience/disobedience in verses 33–42.  The entire 107th Psalm was written to remind God’s people of how He had helped them and their ancestors in various kinds of circumstances. And it concludes with this verse. The point of the verse is that people who knew how God had helped them in the past should remember that and be reminded of His great love for them. We should do the same. Think back of how God has helped us in past days and then remember that He has done it because of His great love for us. This will encourage us to trust Him for today, tomorrow and always. That is what God calls “wisdom.”

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December 21 – How We Know

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” – John 10:11 (NASB)
“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:15 (NASB

Shepherds worked very difficult jobs. Sheep were important to the lives and the livelihood of sheep owners and an important industry. Finding a good shepherd, one that could be trusted, was not always easy. Here, Jesus declares himself the Good Shepherd. A strict more literal translation is “I am the shepherd, the good one.” A good shepherd would be willing to hazard his all for the sheep. King David was a shepherd who risked his life to protect the sheep from wild predators. A shepherd may, indeed, risk his life in the defense of his sheep (1 Samuel. 17:34–36), but he does not really lay down his life as a voluntary sacrifice. But our Good Shepherd has a different relationship than a hired shepherd. To save His sheep, the Good Shepherd sacrificed his life so that they can live. Jesus doubles this promise and He did lay down His life for the sheep because He knows each intimately by name and they know and follow Him. His sheep know him in the same way as God the Father and God the Son know each other for they are one. Perhaps difficult to understand, it is His promise to us. 

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October 29 – Being Wise and Innocent

“…but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” – Romans 16:19b-20 (NASB)

One commentary on Romans tells us the wisdom the Apostle Paul advocates in these verses is more than “knowledgeability”. It is a spiritual as well as a mental quality. Paul wants the recipients of this letter to live in such a manner that we will be equal to the task of choosing what is good in the eyes of God, and that we will be innocent and guileless about evil. We should be wise for the purpose of doing and promoting what is right, and should not get “mixed up” with anything that, in God’s sight, is wrong. God promises to exercise his sovereign will in the interest of his people! 

• He will crush Satan. He will fulfil the promise of Genesis. 3:15. Not Satan but God is Victor.
• He will crush him under your feet. Those who are co-heirs (Romans 8:17) are also co-conquerors. 
• He will do so soon. In a sense it is true that God is crushing Satan right along. A most decisive victory was won on Calvary. There can be no doubt about it, though, that the present passage has reference to the final, victory of God over Satan.

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William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 12-13:512–513.

October 9 – Good Thoughts = Good Habits

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” – Philippians 4:8 (NASB)

The letter Paul the Apostle wrote to his Christian brothers and sisters in Philippi is so chock-full of promises and encouraging instruction. Today’s verse is a good one to memorize or post on a note card where we can see it daily. Our minds are under attack daily – even hourly by the devil who is seeking to destroy and rob us of our joy. We have read more than once that we are to rejoice always. Today we read how fill our minds with good things and think our way to rejoicing.

• True is found in God, in Christ, in the Holy Spirit, and in God’s Word*. 
• Honorable “worthy of respect.” We meditate on whatever is worthy of awe and adoration, as opposed to the profane. 
• Right means is to think in harmony with God’s divine standard of holiness. 
• Pure is that which is morally clean and undefiled. 
• Lovely “pleasing” or “amiable.” Believers are to focus on whatever is kind or gracious. 
• Of good repute, that which is highly regarded or thought well of and reputable in the world, such as kindness, courtesy, and respect for others.

We thus avoid the GIGO† in our manner of thoughts.

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* 2 Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 4:20-21; John 16:13; John 17:17

†Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO), What goes into a process will be seen in what comes out. While the term is most frequently used in the context of software development, GIGO can also be used to refer to any decision-making systems or choices where failure to make the best decisions or choices results in unintended and unpleasant consequences. 

September 30 – Not To Drift

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. ” – 3 John 11 (NASB)

Of the 3 letters written by John the Apostle, the third is the shortest. John was urging the believers to continue to maintain the practice of Christian hospitality that they had been taught and were practicing. In their body was one who was arrogantly violating this practice. With promises from John that he would deal with this malcontent when he visited, he offered the instructions fount in our verse today. It is an essential that what we do is truly good and not just good according to worldly standard but good that comes from our position in God. It is a very strict teaching that many ignore a great deal in the Christian church today. Many teachings of Jesus and then the apostles are being redefined and rationalized based on what “seems right in one’s own eyes.” We tend to become careless and drift away from God’s Word. The drift comes from imitating ways of the world around. Those ways are controlled by Satan who is evil. True good exists and we can emulate what is good. Remember that those who do good are of God and those who do evil cannot claim to know God.

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August 08 – The Good of Doing Good Works

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” – Galatians 6:9-10 (NASB)

We stress frequently that we cannot earn salvation and eternal life by doing good works. It is the gift of faith that brings us the grace we need to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. But good works are not to be forgotten. Doing good is a commandment in the Bible. We are promised that the good works we do in obedience to God will result in a harvest of righteousness. What we reap is lives that are saved from the wages of sin – death. (Romans 6:23) Humans can be a bit impatient however. When we do not see the positive results of our work for God, we are tempted to give up. We might even call it ‘burned out’ and we are also tempted to lose heart. Our calling as faith believers is to stay on task and trust that in due time, we will see results. Our good works are for all people, demonstrating the love and sacrifice Christ made for all the world. And even more, for all in the faith who are called children of God. When is the time to do good? It is “while we have opportunity” means NOW. 

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April 8 – Wait and Seek, Seek and Wait

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:25-26 (NASB)

The command to seek the Lord and the command to wait on the Lord have the same general meaning, and the same general promises are given to each in scripture. Waiting and seeking for our Lord God are terms that frequently describe earnest and effectual prayer.  Waiting and seeking are also ways we are to worship our God.  In our verse today waiting and seeking are used in a combination that suggests a certain difference between them as well as a devotion as a result of coupling these actions.  There is an eagerness and earnestness in our daily walk and communion with God expressed here.  We are enjoined to actively seek God while at the same time passively wait for His answer and action. This is the promise we are given today – The Lord is good to us who wait and seek.  It is good that we make our seeking and waiting silently not just an act of communion but that it becomes habit of our lives as we work out our salvation to His glory. (Philippians 2:12-13)

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February 10 – Worried About Welfare of Loved Ones

“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened…If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”  -  Matthew 7:8, 11 (ESV)

Our verse and promise today comes from the Sermon on the Mount as it is commonly called.  It could be the first major recorded discourse Jesus gave about living in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Facing needs in our lives is to be expected. Our resources run out and need replenishing. This is true whether physical, spiritual or material resources.  The promise in verse 8 give us encouragement to know that God provides for those who ask, seek, and knock for resources.  Even in extreme cases as Jesus expounds on these promises with examples from every day life.  How do we treat our neighbor, our son or daughter when they are in need?  We follow God’s example and we give those in need, especially those we love and are related to, an abundant supply of what they ask for.  So, certainly God will do that for us. We know that because we who have shortcomings in character, are selfish and greedy yet still provide for our own.  God who's love for us is infinite will most certainly do that as well and Jesus is who we have learned from on how He respond to our needs.

Next: Worrying about what serving will cost us.

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December 28 - All Things Good All Things Bad

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”   Romans 8:28  (NASB)

This is the time of the year that we are seeing and hearing the reflections of 2019.  What are the biggest stories or events?  What so-called important people died?  Some of us take account of the path of our life over the past 12 months.  And this brings to mind some good things that brought joy and happiness.  It also brings the memory of some things not so good, even bad and difficult things that happened to us or our family and friends.  Our verse of promise today tells us the we can be assured that all the things good and bad, without exception, have been worked together for our good by God.  The bad and even evil things He has overpowered and woven into a plan of good things for us.  This is for those who love God and those who are the called according to His purpose.  Those who do not yet know or love God do not have this promise.  But we know all things end up as part of God’s good plan for all who belong to him. 

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November 28 – Thanksgiving Day (USA) – A Great Promise, Be Thankful

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Oh let the house of Aaron say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”” Psalm 118:1-3 (NASB)

Here is an idea for today.  If and as you gather around your Thanksgiving Day feast, take the time to read Psalm 118.  It has 29 short verses and begins with “Oh give thanks.” in our selected passage. Verse 29 ends the Psalm with the same words.  What greater thing do we have to be thankful for on this day than Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation. A gift that is free to us but cost Jesus His life. The one man without sin was dying a criminal's death on the cross in our place.  This psalm is intensely messianic and is the psalm most quoted in the NT*.  But even with the profound personal language that pre-visions the life of Jesus Christ and how He was rejected by the people, the essential message is the one that brackets the whole Psalm making it a wonderful passage to read on Thanksgiving Day. We give thanks to the Lord because “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”  God's promise is that his steadfast love will never end. Once given to us it is ours for keeps.  What a great gift to be thankful for.   

*
Matt. 21:9, 42; 23:39;
Mark 11:9, 10; 12:10, 11;
Luke 13:35; 19:38; 20:17;
John 12:13;
Acts 4:11;
Heb. 13:6;
1 Pet. 2:7

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November 20 – With All His Heart

“I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.” Jeremiah 32:41 (NIV) 

We can imagine that being Jeremiah's life was not a piece of cake.  No, Jeremiah was called by God to a very difficult task and he stuck with it in spite of the trials, testing and persecution he received.  The words of warning God gave Jeremiah to deliver were rejected – the people did not want to hear what God had to say.  But God had promised to rescue them and He enjoys doing good things for His people. He doesn’t do it because he has to or because we deserve it. He does good for us because He loves us and He is happy when we allow Him to do it. And God enjoys doing good for us with His whole being. The people of Israel received this prophecy of redemption because God promised to change their hearts. He doesn’t do it half-hardheartedly, but with His whole heart. God has a deep desire to show His love to us. Just as we say to each other, “I love you with all my heart and soul,” God says that to us.  Read this verse again and let it fill your heart with joy that you have this kind of a God. 

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October 6 – All Things Indeed

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  -  Romans 8:28  (NASB)

Our selected verse is often used to comfort ourselves and others when we have experienced some crisis.  Health, accident, career upheaval, marital conflict, death, or whatever we would rather avoid experiencing if we could.  It is a good truth for times like these,  but it is more than just for crisis times.  It is a promise that we can take to heart every day as we go forth.  God knows all things and the outcome of all things before all things even happen to us.  He loves us and we have come to love God.  We believe He has a purpose for us in all we think, say, and do.  God is weaving the events of our lives into His plan.  Yes indeed, His plan is good and glorious and He can take our efforts and all the things we do and encounter and experience, and weave them into that good plan He has determined for us.  After all we are His because He has called us.  His call is according to what He has determined for us and it is His purpose.

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September 22 – Looking Upon Us

“Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!” Psalm 4:6 (NASB)

If we encounter people who are skeptical about our belief in God, it is really nothing new.  A long time ago David mentioned that he encountered people of that kind then. We can be thankful that David knew the answer to the question of the skeptics.  When they asked who could show them any good, they were challenging David's commitment to God's promises and asking for proof.  It is easy for a skeptic to challenge God's word but David knew from experience that it was his God who would in His time show us some good.  God has and will continue to do it for His children.  God had looked upon and shown His goodness and His love to David many times. I trust that we can join with David in what he said.  In our own lives has not God shown His love to us so many times?  It is wonderful to think of God looking down on us in love; in acceptance of us even when we make mistakes. He is looking at us today as we come to Him for help.

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August 9 – Who Is At Work In You?

“...for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”   Philippians 2:13 -   (NASB)

We referenced this verse yesterday and today we have is as our verse of promise from God.  Just as we looked at yesterday's verse, written by the Apostle John, and read that God is at work in us making us more like Himself, our promise today, written by the Apostle Paul, says much the same thing.  It is God. God is at work in us.  He is at work both according to His will and for His good pleasure.  If we realize that God is at work in us, we trust that He will accomplish it and we want Him to do so and to be pleased by it.  We want to work with Him in this project.  Like the architect of a building who is involved directly with those building it, both want a pleasing result.  God is the architect of our lives and He is involved and working to the goal of us pleasing Him by allowing Him to do His Will.   

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July 11 – Hungry and Thirsty?

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.”   Psalm 107:8-9 (NASB)

We are thankful to be reminded again how much our heavenly Father is doing for us in our Christian lives. In Old Testament days those who worshiped Him with this psalm were thanking Him and we have much reason to thank Him for what He does for us in our day.  Our verse reminds us that God satisfies the thirsty and the hungry.  We can believe because we have had that experience.  We have sensed how God can satisfy the longing of our hearts when we turn to Him.  It is wonderful to realize how God knows what our hearts are longing for and when we turn to Him in faith He responds .  Our verses also remind us how our Lord can fully satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst and that He does it by giving us spiritually good things. 

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June 1 – Sustaining Good Actions

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  Galatians 6:9-10 (ESV)

We are all susceptible to getting tired.  Today's verse is an encouragement to not get tired of doing what God has given us to do, that is, doing good and not evil.  Our thoughts, words, actions are all watched over by God.  He has a purpose he has given to us and we persevere in that purpose.   When we believed and received the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life, we were bought into God's family.  This is the result of our salvation bought by the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.  As children of God and members of His family, God wants us to show this relationship by our actions toward other members of this great family.  God wants us to do good, especially to other believers and to not get tired doing good.  We are promised a reward if we persevere.  Be on the look-out, be alert for the opportunities to do good to everyone.  Be especially intentional of doing good for the brothers and sisters in Christ who are part of the family of God.    

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March 6 – The Bottom Line of God's Love

“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.”  Romans 8:28  (NIV)

So many of the verses we read in this blog are familiar to those who have walked with Christ in faith believing for a long time.  Our verse today reaffirms our belief that we have a wonderful God who is caring for us in the big and small things of our life.  God watches over all and He knows each of us who really know and love Him.  He has promised that no matter what happens to us in our life and no matter what we encounter, whether it is good or bad, easy or difficult, and whether it brings happiness or sorrow, He knows about it.  And for us who love Him and are called by His will and for His purpose, the bottom line of all these things eventually result in what is good for us.  This does not mean that we always know what is really for our good but we can trust our loving heavenly Father to know what is good for us.  Not a promise that everything will end up being easy or enjoyable but it does mean that nothing will ever rob us of what we have been promised.  When we face situations and circumstances that threaten our well being, God knows and in the end, what we receive will be good.  This is His purpose and His promise.  

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January 12 – Taking Refuge in Who is Good

“The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” Nahum 1:7 (NASB)

We all face difficulties in our lives, do we not?  Not one of us lives without challenges or situations where we need help.  We have help promised to us in today's verse.  Think about this a moment, our verse says “The Lord is good,” and that means we can trust him to help us because He is a place we can find refuge from our troubles and difficulties.  Trying to go it alone is really not the way God has planned for us.  He knows we need Him each day and we need Him in our day of trouble.  Some of us have many such days and we have this promise that He will give us refuge from the troubles.  He knows us even before we do and He is ready and waiting for us to turn to him.  What a promise we can live with in the most difficult times in our lives.  Today, let's take our troubles to him and get the refuge He has promised.  He is good and He is God, perfect in every way.  

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