“How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!”
Psalm 31:19 NASB
Grace Perspective:
God demonstrates His gracious goodness when He takes a heart hardened by sin and softens it to accept the gift of salvation. Scripture says that He does the work within us to “…give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26 AMP)
God’s goodness is magnificently displayed when His children come to Him for refuge, seeking His wisdom and strength. Goodness graciously flows from His heart through us to a world battered by sin. Goodness is meant to be given, even when it’s not deserved, so others will see just how good God is.
A Touch of Grace:
How has the Lord’s goodness been shown to you?
What good does the Lord want you to do today?
Grace Application:
Do we really believe God is good when there is so much evil in the world? How do we know that God is good? How do we know what good we are supposed to do? So many questions come up when we begin to think about goodness. So, where do we find the answers? By getting to know Who God is and learning what He calls good and what He calls evil.
Studying God’s Word reveals what He thinks about good, evil, love, sin, rebellion, and redemption. It takes time and effort to pursue God purposely. Still, the commitment to build a deeper relationship with God is never a waste. It helps us understand why and how we are to do good things that reflect God’s goodness.
The reality is my flesh fights me when I seek to spend time with God. I want to sleep a little longer instead of getting up early to be with Him.
However, I know from experience that time with the Lord – finding refuge in Him – helps me do good. Choosing to read the Bible, really read it, and take time to understand who God is, prepares my heart to receive His wisdom and direction. Spending time praying and meditating on the Word focuses my thoughts on what is truly important, doing good work for Him.
God saved each of us for His purposes. Once He gives us a heart of flesh, we are transformed by His Spirit to be used for good works. Ephesians 2:10 says,
“For we are His workmanship [His own masterwork, a work of art],
created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed,
renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us]
beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them
[living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].”
Doing the good works, God prearranged brings Him glory, but don’t worry if you don’t feel prepared (read the Bible to see others who didn’t feel up to doing good works). God is faithful to give you all that is needed to bear the fruit of gracious goodness. So ask Him today what good works He has prepared for you to do, and see where He leads.
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to You In the precious name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, thankful for Your goodness. Help me to receive it as I seek refuge in You. Forgive me when I resist spending time with You and give in to my fleshly desires. Continue to transform my heart so that I’m ready to do the good works You’ve prepared for me to do so that others see Your gracious goodness. Amen