Dec 01 – GOODNESS OF GOD

“Oh, how great is Your goodness,Which You have laid up for those who fear You,Which You have prepared for those who trust in YouIn the presence of the sons of men!”(Psalm 31:19)

We all live in a world which is full of wickedness and iniquity. There aretimes, when even those who benefitted from you, try to rise up against you. But amidst all of this, our Lord always gives only that which is good for us. Psalmist David, who had tasted the goodness of the Lord, says: “Yes, the LORD will give what is good;And our land will yield its increase”(Psalm 85:12).

Once a pastor and his team were going around to look for a suitable land to build their church. And they could not find a suitable place for a very long time. After many months, someone offered to sell his land to them, but the price quoted was very high. But since the Church trustees could not get any other alternative at hand, they decided to go ahead and buy that piece of land. But the Pastor, knelt down in the presence of God, in personal prayer, to seek the will of God. And the Lord spoke to him saying: ‘Do not be in a hurry. I will give you what is good’. When the Pastor conveyed this message to the other trustees of the church, they were all very angry and upset.

Some months rolled by. And one day, a wealthy man in that area called the pastor and told him that they plan to settle down in another country. And since they have considerable wealth, they would like to offer a piece of land as an offering to the church. And he offered a huge piece of land, without any cost whatsoever to the church. Only then, the trustees and the elders realised how the Lord has led them so wonderfully and granted them all the good things. They praised God with a thankful heart.

When a worldly father knows how to give good gifts to his children, will not your heavenly Father, who is so much more loving, grant you the good gifts to you? He will surely grant them to you. At a time when we are getting close to the new year, our God promises to you saying: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow meAll the days of my life;And I will dwell in the house of the LORDForever”(Psalm 23:6).

May be you have faced far too many challenges all through this year, and walked in the paths of sorrow and bitter tears. But if you love the Lord and rely on Him, He is able to change even those bitterness and pain for your good. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”(Romans 8:28). Our Lord who makes water to proceed from out of rock, will make the life of wilderness to blossom again and prosper.

Verse for further meditation: “Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the LORD—For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all.”(Jeremiah 31:12)