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goodness

Songs in the Night

by TerryLema

Have you ever woken up in the night and had a song—or just a piece of a song—running repeatedly in your mind. Often it is a song we have heard on television, either a show or especially a commercial.  Remember, “My bologna has a first name, it’s O S C A R. My bologna has a second name, it’s M A Y E R?”

(You might find that resounding in your sleep tonight if you tried singing it in this devotion.)

Psychologists call this “involuntary musical imagery” (INMI)—more commonly known as “earworms.” These “earworms” play in a loop in an estimated 98% of people in the western world. I know they happen to me all the time. I’ll wake up after a couple hours sleep and a song will be looping, back to sleep and it is still looping.

That is one of the reasons I love to go for walks each day and listen to my worship music as I walk. If I walk and listen to my worship music, singing my praise to the LORD in the daytime, the songs that “loop” while I sleep are much more likely to also be praise and worship to my King.

Psalm 42:8: “The Lord will send His faithful love by day; His song will be with me in the night—a prayer to the God of my life.” [HCSB]

This morning I woke to “The Goodness of God” looping in my mind. What a lovely way to sleep and to wake up in the morning.

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All My Life

by TerryLema

Last Sunday Pastor Laura led worship and one of the songs she choose that morning was “Goodness of God.” [Link: CeCe Winans – Goodness of God (Official Lyric Video) – Bing video ]

I will admit that music touches my soul deeply. I will admit that I have been known to be so captivated by songs that I will break out in tears. Some songs simply take my breath away. That morning, “Goodness of God” did just that and more.

As Pastor Laura began to sing, I started to weep. And when she reached the line, “And I have lived in the goodness of God,” I realized at that moment that truly “all my life I have lived in the goodness of God.”

Whether aware of it or not, even before I knew Him as my Savior and LORD, His goodness and mercy have followed me, pursued me, captured me all the days of my life. [Psalm 23:6]

As we age and find that moving and breathing and living is far more difficult than in years’ past, it is easy to overlook God’s goodness in the midst of pain and struggle.  To be reminded that I have lived in His goodness all my life is a blessing.

His hand guided me even though I was often blind to His leading. I can see where He rescued me from enemies and difficulties even though I was ignorant of the danger. I can see where He held me close when I was grieving, where He strengthened me when I was weak, where He encouraged me when I was downcast, where He loved me when I was so unlovable.

I truly have lived all my life in the goodness of God.  I think I have found a new favorite song, maybe a new theme for 2023.

 

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Goodness of the LORD

by TerryLema

Standing at the beginning of a new year, filled with questions about what this year will hold. I know I will spend some of the time looking back, wondering if I did all I could, wondering if I should have done something differently.

I know I will also spend time looking ahead, seeking for what the LORD has for me in this new time of life. Retirement is something I have not really done before. I did “retire” from an administrative role at St. Luke’s a while back, but somehow “retirement” and serving the LORD seem like an oxymoron.

I woke up recently with the opening verse of Psalm 27 going through my mind.  “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom should I be afraid?” [vs 1 HCSB]

As I read through the Psalm, I was drawn to verse 13.  “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.”  [HCSB]

I am certain that I have repeatedly seen the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Perhaps looking ahead to not only a new year but a new chapter, I should turn that verse into my prayer this year.

“LORD, show me your goodness this year. Show me, while I still have breath in this old body, how to acknowledge Your goodness and lead others to Your goodness. My life has changed, but You have not. My desire remains to serve You as long and as strong as I can. Grant me that promise, to see and share Your goodness in this land. I wait expectantly. Amen.”

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Following Me …

by TerryLema

“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 23:6 NKJV]

Have you ever wondered about that phrase … shall follow me?  What does it mean to have goodness and mercy follow us?

Actually, in this case, the Holman Christian Standard gives us a better idea.  “Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life….”

The word translated “follow” in most translations is “radah” in Hebrew. It means to pursue, chase, and even persecute. It is used often in the context of war. (Read Genesis 14:15, Deuteronomy 11:4, and Joshua 7:2 for examples.)

To think of goodness and mercy or goodness and faithful love simply following us is a bit passive. The LORD’s love and mercy do not just meander along behind us somewhere.

Instead, they have an intense focus … they chase after us like an army would, but unlike an army that seeks to harm, the LORD’s active and relentless love is not seeking to harm us, but to bless us.

Too often people think that when God pursues them it is to take everything away. They think that coming to Christ Jesus as Savior means giving up everything. Instead, God pursues us so that He might bestow His amazing goodness and love, His goodness and mercy upon us in bountiful abundance!

Praise the LORD God Almighty and Bless His Holy Name Forever! Amen

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Opportunities Abound!

by TerryLema

The world is in the grips of a FEAR-pandemic. Events are canceled or “suspended.” Government officials are forbidding or “recommending” that any gathering more than a few people be canceled, including church services. The stock market has been on a steady decline. People are not going to restaurants or any place they “fear” they’ll acquire the virus. The media is one talking head after another telling us about the virus and what precautions we should take, what we should expect, what we should or should not do. It’s a response to FEAR unlike anything I’ve seen since Y2K! (Which by the way did not do anything the talking heads predicted it would do.)

Amid this FEAR-pandemic, the church needs to be the source of HOPE and COURAGE. The Bible is cover-to-cover a message from God that those who love Him should not fear. Whether OT or NT, “do not fear” is a major theme.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God.” [Isa 43:1-3 NKJV]

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” [Luke 12:32 NKJV]

Should we use caution, of course, just as we do so we don’t spread the flu or the common cold. But while others are responding to all this with FEAR, the church should be viewing this as an opportunity to share the HOPE we have in Christ Jesus.

Let’s keep our heads, beloved. An average of 115 persons die each day in motor vehicle crashes in the United States — one every 13 minutes. According to the World Health Organization about 3000 people die in crashes each day worldwide. Keep perspective. The world has always been full of danger, but God is full of grace, mercy and goodness. Share His delights with others who are struggling with fear and hopelessness. Don’t miss this time of opportunity!

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Time to Notice the Good?

by TerryLema

I usually attend a couple prayer meetings each week. I cherish the time with other Christians placing our requests before our Father God, something He invites us to do. It’s an enriching experience to hear others pray and to sense the concerns of their heart for God’s Kingdom, our world, and individuals.

The one thing I have noticed, however, is that often we focus almost totally on the ills around us. We should, of course, pray about the things that are wrong, but if we consider prayer as conversation with our Almighty God, should we not also note the things that are right?

“For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” [Ps 33:4-5 NIV]

The NKJV renders that last line, “the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.”

It isn’t healthy (in any conversation) to always focus on the problems or difficulties. If we did that with our friends constantly, I’m not sure how long they’d last as our friends. We must talk about the good too. With God, we should also come to Him with “His unfailing love” and “goodness” before us and thank Him for it.

Sometimes it is enlightening to take a walk with a child and notice how they see all the wonder around them. “Oh, look, a flower,” or “look a rock,” or “wow, a big worm!” (I walked with a lot of little boys!) Children can find joy and wonder everywhere.

Maybe next time we take a walk with God in prayer, we should spend some time noticing all that “unfailing love” and “goodness” He has placed around us.

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