GOOD? Really, Lord? Why not faith or patience or hope? Surely I need more of those! How about gentleness or self-control? I am sorely lacking in those areas too!
I had no idea at the time, how He would use that one word to reveal Himself to me, to strengthen my faith and to give me hope! He has lead me on a journey of discovery and adventure that I can hardly contain or keep to myself.
A couple of years ago, God began speaking to me in acronyms. I don't know why, but He began "unfolding words" for me in that way. He immediately gave me an acronym for GOOD. It is God Over Our D________'s. I started making a list of D-words, that has now grown to almost 130...He is God Over Our Day, our Disappointments, our Despair, our Decisions, our Doubts, our Diseases, our Dwelling, our Doors, our Dollars, our Death....just to name a few.
As an act of obedience, I decided to buy the letters G.O.O.D at Hobby Lobby and put them on my mantle, where I would be reminded every day of my new focus. I found these letters I really liked at the store closest to my house, but there was no G!! So I bought the O.O.D., hoping I would find the G at another store. I placed the O.O.D. on my mantle and it occurred to me...GOOD is not good without the G (God)! If GOD is not in it, it's not GOOD! I couldn't get my G fast enough! So the next day I drove 30 miles to the nearest Hobby Lobby and got my G.
That was the start of my journey...New revelation of His goodness in the midst of everyday, mundane, sometimes painful things, has shifted my focus from what I can do to what He can and will do...If I invite Him to be in and over ALL of it.
In just about every situation I find myself in, there is usually a D-word for it. If I can't think of one immediately, I look in my Thesaurus and can usually find one.
The truth is plain and simple: If God is not in it, it's not good! God doesn't cause our disappointments or any of the other D's in our lives, but He can surely be OVER them if we let Him...
In just about every situation I find myself in, there is usually a D-word for it. If I can't think of one immediately, I look in my Thesaurus and can usually find one.
The truth is plain and simple: If God is not in it, it's not good! God doesn't cause our disappointments or any of the other D's in our lives, but He can surely be OVER them if we let Him...
What does that really mean???
It means, I declare that He is OVER, in charge, working through, every situation and I walk it out like I believe it, even when I don't feel like it or when all the evidence points to the contrary!
It means that I allow God to speak into my despair or my disappointments or any of my other D's, and that I let HIS word wash over me and give me new perspective.
It means that I trust him completely to be over the situations that I have no control over.
It means that I trust in His goodness more than I trust in my own.
It means that I seek first His kingdom, His ways, His wisdom, and then trust Him to work the good out.
It means that I allow God to speak into my despair or my disappointments or any of my other D's, and that I let HIS word wash over me and give me new perspective.
It means that I trust him completely to be over the situations that I have no control over.
It means that I trust in His goodness more than I trust in my own.
It means that I seek first His kingdom, His ways, His wisdom, and then trust Him to work the good out.
The positioning of our hearts, surrendering and trusting in God's goodness, is what transforms us!
You see, when I am looking for the good in something, declaring and believing that God is OVER it and trusting in His ability to handle it, it frees me up to simply love Him, praise Him, and rest in Him...no matter how hopeless a situation may seem.
It's not up to me to work the good, that's His job!
You see, when I am looking for the good in something, declaring and believing that God is OVER it and trusting in His ability to handle it, it frees me up to simply love Him, praise Him, and rest in Him...no matter how hopeless a situation may seem.
It's not up to me to work the good, that's His job!
*His name is GOOD. "I will praise you forever for what you have done. In your name I will hope, for your name is GOOD!" (Ps 52:9) That's who he is...ALL the names of God can be summed up in one word: GOOD. He is the same yesterday, today and forever...He will never stop being GOOD!
*He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us a GOOD land (Deut 6:23) He doesn't bring us out of something to leave us in the desert...His desire is to bring us IN to a GOOD land.
*And we know that in all things God works for the GOOD of those who love him." (Rom 8:28)...that GOOD is to transform us into the likeness of Jesus, not to work everything out the way we want it.
*The Lord is GOOD to those whose hope is in Him. It is GOOD to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lam 3:25-26)
*I will give them a singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own GOOD and the GOOD of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing GOOD to them and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them GOOD and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul!" (Jer. 32:39-41).
These are just a few of the scriptures and promises that have anchored me on this journey of faith....there are so many more, and I am discovering that God's word is like an onion...there are layers upon layers of truth and revelation of which there is no end.
"The unfolding of your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple!" (Ps. 119:130)
These are just a few of the scriptures and promises that have anchored me on this journey of faith....there are so many more, and I am discovering that God's word is like an onion...there are layers upon layers of truth and revelation of which there is no end.
"The unfolding of your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple!" (Ps. 119:130)
