Focusing on the Good

Those of us who grew up in a Christian home, probably, at one time or another said that little childhood prayer: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.” As simple as that prayer sounds and as easy it was to pull that prayer out to offer a quick thanks for our meal, there’s one key characteristic that stands out. It is “God is good”. Maybe we should continue to pray that prayer so that we would focus on the goodness of God.

One of the pastors at my church back in Frisco started every sermon with “God is good!” And he would wait for us to reply: “All the time.” He’d go on: “All the time.” And we replied: “God is good!” When we turned and looked at the congregation, everyone was smiling. It made us forget, even momentarily, the troubles and concerns we might have been carrying that day.

As many times that we say “God is good”, more times than not, we don’t live like we believe it. I get it. I’ve had plenty of wide-awake hours at night being concerned or worried. It’s those times, I am not thinking about the goodness of God. When we’re worried or stressed out, we don’t seem to find — much less think about –God’s goodness, even when it’s right in front of us.

Although it’s true not everything that happens in our life is good, that doesn’t mean God is not good, and it doesn’t mean God is not pouring His goodness into our life. God can take the bad and bring good out of it. Even in the worst times, God has a good purpose, a good plan, and a good reason.

So how can we trust in God’s goodness when we don’t feel it? His Word reminds us of His goodness over and over: “The Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and His faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation.” (Psalm 100:5).

If we would realize that it is the enemy of our souls who uses whatever means he can to keep us from focusing on God’s goodness. He scores when we are down and out. After all, his sole purpose is to steal, kill and steal our joy and peace from us (John 10:10). When our minds depart from the goodness of God, our perspective goes south, and that’s when we need God’s goodness the most.

When we believe and understand the goodness of God, it takes us to “anything is possible with Him” and this present circumstance and trouble…..came – to PASS! It causes us to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3) and it will take us to new levels of faith and trust in our good, good Father God.

My friends who still love the songs of the 60’s will remember the Supremes singing: “STOP, in the name of love!” Today let’s stop the worrying and fretting and in the name of the greatest lover of all, sing “God is so good. God is so good. God is so good. He’s so good to me!”

“Protect me, God, because I trust in You. I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord. Every good thing I have comes from You.’” (Psalm 16:1-2).