God is Good, God is love!

Day 5: Amazing fact about God I am pondering today:

God is good, God is love and because I am His goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

   I have children and grandchildren that I absolutely love to be with. I have friends and a marvelous church that I enjoy being with. Hands down, my favorite place to be is in God’s presence. I realize the 23rd Psalm is one that is recited and read a lot. Sometimes when verses and passages of scripture get read a lot people don’t stop and really look at what it says. The Lord’s Prayer and so many other verses become common. That is just so sad when it happens. I guess if the enemy can’t steal it altogether from someone he will opt to try to make them indifferent. I am sorry to report, it has been successful. There is so much in God’s Word! It is full of life and well worth slowing down and meditating on. Tip: that is a tool for success- that is how much life there is in God’s Word.

   Today I have been thinking about how God loves us so much, and so unconditionally. He only wants good for us, and He delights in our prosperity.

“Let them shout for joy and be glad,

Who favor my righteous cause;

And let them say continually,

“Let the Lord be magnified,

Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” Psalm 35:27

   I have heard people say God led them, or allowed them to be sick, broke, stressed, depressed and a number of other horrible things. That. Is. Just. NOT. True! 

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11

   I am not going to do an expository teaching on Psalm 23, but I have been thinking about it today and do want to highlight a few things. The Lord is our Shepherd, and as we see above in John 10:11, He is a good shepherd. Sheep require much higher maintenance than other livestock. They are timid and fearful, stubborn and with habits that would question their IQ. Sheep need to be fed, tended to, protected, guided and brought back from wherever they wander off to, and they must be tended to constantly. Human behavior and sheep behavior have some very interesting parallels. A good shepherd constantly, vigilantly and meticulously cares for his sheep. That is what our Good Shepherd does. Here are a some things the Psalmist mentions just in the 23rd Psalm.

• We do not want for anything (provision).
• Jesus makes us lie down in green pastures (rest).
• He leads us beside still water (peace).
• He restores our soul (renews and refreshes my inner person) .
• He leads us onto paths of righteousness (right standing with Himself).
• We do not need to fear.
• He is always with us.
• He protects (His rod) and guides (His staff) me.
• He comforts us.
• He welcomes us (His table).
• He favors us (anointing oil).
• He fills us with good things.
• His goodness (welfare and prosperity) follows us all the days of our life.
• His mercy (lovingkindness, favor, grace) follows us all the days of our life.
• We will live and remain with Him forever.  

The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever. Psalm 23

Psalm 23 alone can keep us meditating on the goodness and love of God for many hours, days even.

“...God is love. 1 John 4:8

“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him”. 1 John 4:16

   Honestly, when you are reading your Bible and you come across the words God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, you could just insert the word Love and it would be spot on accurate. I encourage you to do that. For instance:

Now thanks be to God [Love] who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

 Therefore submit to God [Love]. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

For God [Love] so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God [Love] did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Amazing fact about God I am pondering today:

I am cared for by a very loving and Good Shepherd! My needs are met, I am protected and provided for, my very soul is restored, I am highly favored and loved and I always will be- forever, because God [Love] will never leave me. I will live with Him forever!