The Goodness of God

[LoveDivine]

It has been years since I started a discussion in Singles. I was hesitant to share this post, but I was thinking this could be helpful or edifying for someone. I know the title sounds so simplistic and painfully obvious, but I believe that one of the keys to unlocking contentment is to meditate on the goodness of God and his blessings in our own life. I think it is easy to focus on the trials or sufferings in life. We definitely have to pick up our cross and suffer at times for our faith. But that is only one aspect of Christianity. There are so many blessings that we do experience.

I thought it would be an interesting discussion to share our own personal experiences of the moments or times in our own lives that we were very conscious of the goodness of God. Sometimes it can be the most simple thing that really gets our attention and shows us how blessed we are. I have several experiences I can share later. I would love to hear from others. I think meditating regularly on this and encouraging each other to focus on this can be life changing. I know the moments I have had have really helped to change my outlook on certain struggles or difficulties.

I really like the verse in Psalm 103. "Bless the Lord, and forget not all his benefits."

 

[Maria Billingsley]

It has been years since I started a discussion in Singles. I was hesitant to share this post, but I was thinking this could be helpful or edifying for someone. I know the title sounds so simplistic and painfully obvious, but I believe that one of the keys to unlocking contentment is to meditate on the goodness of God and his blessings in our own life. I think it is easy to focus on the trials or sufferings in life. We definitely have to pick up our cross and suffer at times for our faith. But that is only one aspect of Christianity. There are so many blessings that we do experience.

I thought it would be an interesting discussion to share our own personal experiences of the moments or times in our own lives that we were very conscious of the goodness of God. Sometimes it can be the most simple thing that really gets our attention and shows us how blessed we are. I have several experiences I can share later. I would love to hear from others. I think meditating regularly on this and encouraging each other to focus on this can be life changing. I know the moments I have had have really helped to change my outlook on certain struggles or difficulties.

I really like the verse in Psalm 103. "Bless the Lord, and forget not all his benefits."

John 14:23
Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, then he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

 

[LoveDivine]

John 14:23
Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, then he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Thanks for sharing that verse. That is the perfect starting point for a discussion. It is pretty incredible that Christ offers us that level of intimacy and fellowship. It is pretty comforting to realize that regardless of our failures or status in life, we can have that level of closeness and friendship with God.

 

[High Fidelity]

"Bless the Lord, and forget not all his benefits."

This is really important and something we shouldn't lose sight of even in seemingly trivial matters. The very fact we have positive things go mostly unnoticed is in itself a blessing that our lives should have such an abundance of goodness that we overlook it at times.


For me the goodness of God is that throughout my struggles, throughout my disobedience, throughout my sin and throughout my apparent departures at time, the gravity of God always draws me back to Him. Those that have know me long enough are aware that my walk hasn't been on a path without its potholes; some of them were puddles I chose to jump in myself and the others were puddles I stumbled in, misjudged and ended up fully submerged. It hasn't been easy, it hasn't always been loving, and it hasn't always been without anger, but despite it all, I am very happy to acknowledge that I'll never escape the effects of God's goodness and God's grace.


Lately I have been thinking about prayer, and that Christ Himself would sneak off in the night to be alone in prayer with the Father. Considering the things we ourselves might sneak off to do, it was clearly a thing that brought Him great joy, and best of all, the same is available to any of us that opens ourselves up to God. Wherever we are, whomever we are, we can all pray.

 

[LoveDivine]

Lately I have been thinking about prayer, and that Christ Himself would sneak off in the night to be alone in prayer with the Father. Considering the things we ourselves might sneak off to do, it was clearly a thing that brought Him great joy, and best of all, the same is available to any of us that opens ourselves up to God. Wherever we are, whomever we are, we can all pray

That is a really good point. I think sometimes we can view prayer as something we need to do as a Christian and miss out on the privilege that it is. It is an opportunity to fellowship with God and receive strength. I really like how you described that. Also, if Christ coveted that time of fellowship with the Father so much and needed that time away from others, how much more do we need it.

 

[DragonFox91]

I met my best friend in middle school. So what age, 12 maybe? We are still best
friends to this day. I am 31, he'll be 32 in a month.

Although my heart deeply desires a girlfriend & to be married, I fear this friendship I have may be the closest thing I can come, but it is very good.

 

[LoveDivine]

I met my best friend in middle school. So what age, 12 maybe? We are still best
friends to this day. I am 31, he'll be 32 in a month.

Although my heart deeply desires a girlfriend & to be married, I fear this friendship I have may be the closest thing I can come, but it is very good.

A deep friendship that lasts for years is a huge blessing. Having another Christian to fellowship with and encourage each other is a great source of strength. Sometimes we don't have all the friendships or relationships we would wish for, but God is always faithful to bring us someone into our life to help us.

 

[DragonFox91]

We are waiting for you to post yours

 

[LoveDivine]

Sometimes little things like being out in nature can give me that sense. There have also been many times that I have really felt blessed and appreciative for.certain things in my life. I personally had a rough 3 years during this whole pandemic. I was also very conscious during those years of how many good things I still had to be thankful for. The rough years really forced me to trust in God daily. I had a very strong sense of the goodness and faithfulness of God throughout those years.

I would say one moment that stands out more than others was during the beginning of the pandemic. I had a lot of concerns about life in general and I was praying about things. During those times of prayer I had this strong sense of how fortunate I was and a sense of relief thaf God had seemingly shut certain doors to potential relationships over the years. I had walked away from several because I knew they were wrong for me spiritually. I didn't have the peace to pursue them. At the time though, I was more sorrowful and frustrated. I wanted something to work. I didn't want to see those red flags. I did make the right choices to end them, but I didn't have the full picture. I should have been running haha

I don't think I had the full picture of how fortunate I was that I was being given a chance to see red flags and escape. I had this sense in those prayer times, that I had been spared from things I didn't even comprehend and that I had been like a stupid stubborn sheep that was so close to danger and didn't even know it. I felt so thankful and so relieved for those warnings and closed doors. As tough as it can be to be single, how much worse is it to be married to someone who pulls you away from God
That is terrifying to think about

 

[DragonFox91]

He is the Good Shepherd. He protects his sheep & saves them from the wolves hiding in the crags. He brings them to their pasture where they are safe under his watch. Truly you are a sheep of his flock

 

[LoveDivine]

He is the Good Shepherd. He protects his sheep & saves them from the wolves hiding in the crags. He brings them to their pasture where they are safe under his watch. Truly you are a sheep of his flock

Sheep have no idea what dangers they face. I think so many times we can agonize over not having the thing that would actually destroy us spiritually. I think the more we become convinced that God is good and seeks what is best for us, we can relax and accept our situation. We don't have the full picture

 

[DragonFox91]

Sheep have no idea what dangers they face. I think so many times we can agonize over not having the thing that would actually destroy us spiritually. I think the more we become convinced that God is good and seeks what is best for us, we can relax and accept our situation. We don't have the full picture

That is why we need to work at it daily, even when we don't to, to take the time & put the heart into it. Not to fall into a routine. You never know when things might change, like a discouragement, & you need to call back on truth.

 

[LoveDivine]

That is why we need to work at it daily, even when we don't to, to take the time & put the heart into it. Not to fall into a routine. You never know when things might change, like a discouragement, & you need to call back on truth.

For sure. We need to read Scripture regularly and remind ourselves of truths continually. The devil will always try to discourage us and try to twist our mind. We have to take captive any thoughts that might cause us to stumble.

One reason I felt I should start this discussion was that it would give us all an opportunity to share edifying things and help everyone focus on the blessings that we have.

 

[DragonFox91]

I went to a big Christian conference in college. It was amazing! I had so much fun. I felt really connected & loved!

When I got back, I did a no water / no food fast for spiritual reasons for the first time for 3 days. It was so good! Just felt more connected to God, more joyful. I felt my heart was rebuilt. There’s pleasures in life & a lot of them are to be enjoyed because they were created by God for us as a sign of his love & glory, but they can’t ever bring fulfillment. “Blessed are those who thirst for righteousness for they will be satisified.”

I am actually going thru a fast now. It started as a depression one but has turned into one for spiritual purposes. God draws us close in our despair. We know he is good b/c even in despair there is joy. Secularists think it’s a coping mechanism, but there’s no logic to it. There’s no reason you should suddenly be comforted when you’ve been fighting negativity, more negativity should come in.

Ahhhh, I’m so distracted today & all this week. I should be working!!!

 

[DragonFox91]

BUMP. Anyone?

 

[LoveDivine]

I recently was meditating on a verse in Romans that I wanted to share. Romans 15:13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

I was thinking about how many references to hope there are in this verse and that if we draw closer to God we can be filled with joy and peace. The goodness of God is that he desires to fill us with hope. It's his desire to actually make our earthly lives more serene even in the midst of any trials or sufferings. We aren't just promised hope. We can actually be overflowing with joy and hope.

 

[GodBeMercifulToMeASinner]

A very nice thread giving praise and thanksgiving to our Lord. God is the standard of goodness, and to truly believe that simplifies life. It will help free you from the clutter, mayhem, and various fallen ways of the world $y$tem. It is not possible to be content with the world’s pollution having influence in one’s life..even if you have much or most of what you want, you will always want more. Focus on things above, Colossians 3:2.

Philippians 4:11-13 comes to mind since being content was mentioned earlier, Paul the Apostle learned to be content in any situation. Even prison. This will help us avoid covetousness, which only drags people into the world and it’s ways, and gets them operating in the flesh where the adversary wants them. A great source of destruction.

It was also mentioned the importance of prayer, and how it shouldn’t be perceived as a sort of obligation, it is a blessing. The act and fellowship with God is a blessing as well as the motivation to do so, it comes from God, which should be encouraging in itself if you think about it. We are told to let our requests be made known to Him, Philippians 4:6. It doesn’t mean we always get whatever we want, because God knows what is best for us at a given time better than we do.

Since this is a singles area, and maybe some are down at times about prayers for a spouse seemingly going unanswered, perhaps God wants you to pray for Him to make you into someone whom will make an ideal Christian spouse before He brings you to your ideal spouse you have prayed for Him to bless you with? It is an unselfish and loving prayer, which is pleasing to God..it is putting your future spouse’s wellbeing before your own self, the biblical definition of love. Pray Ezekiel 36:26 to Him, to remove the stony heart and give you a heart of flesh, Psalms 51:10, ask Him to purify your heart, renew a right spirit within you. For the sake of the future spouse you have been praying for, not just because you desire marriage and to not be alone. Pray to be a blessing within a biblical marriage. Every good thing comes from God, pray for Him to make you such, so he may bless the Godly spouse you pray for Him to bless you with.

This thread also brings this verse to mind..Psalms 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”

I have spent many hours on that beach in my profile photo for many years and have done lots of stuff there that I’ve wanted to since I was very little, and got to do it all many times over. But the best, most productive times there were when I went with nothing on me, just some things on my mind which I wanted to share with God and it is the best blessing of all to rely on Him rather than our own fallen selves or the fallen world.

 

[LoveDivine]

I like all the points you made, especially your point about covetousness. I think it is a sin that we all have the danger of committing if we focus on worldly things/ status and desire those things. Covetousness is mentioned so many times in the epistles in the NT. It's obviously a sin we have to guard against or we would not be warned about it so often in Scripture. I think whatever we long for or desire strongly will drive us and influence us. It can actually be a positive thing if we covet spiritual experiences and time with God. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness. It's pretty wonderful too that God promises us that he will fill us and give us these experiences with him if we desire it.

 

[bèlla]

I feel a lot like Abraham. I've left everything behind to follow Him. All that remains is my country and I'm relinquishing it soon. At first glance it seems I've lost a lot. But He's given me more in return and helped me see myself as He does. He's my Father and Friend. We talk about everything. I'm comfortable sharing my concerns and opinions. Whether they agree with His or not. I tell Him the truth. I love our relationship.

I've experienced a lot of change this year and greater settledness. And a deeper knowing and certainty about my life and tomorrow. I understand the delays and what He prevented for my betterment. And I'm not upset. That's what good parents do.

If I had to tie a word to my thoughts I'd choose this:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

My daughter and I were always close. But the unification of wills magnified our impact. We're working together in ways we didn't envision for mutually beneficial results. You can accomplish a lot when you're on the same page and willing to make the effort.

In my time away I found two promising churches in the area I'm relocating to. They're church plants and I like the message the founders share. They've established churches in other areas and their ethos is sound. I like the emphasis on developing leaders within the church and creating the resources for its attainment. And I value their approach to togetherness. You need more than Sundays to build lasting connections.

I found two bible studies I'm looking forward to joining. Both pertain to my work in different ways. The fellowship and accountability are blessings. I need kindred spirits in the marketplace and He provided them. I had an opportunity to converse with Amish and Mennonite believers at length. Although it isn't the right path for me their focus on community was instrumental in finding likeminded churches.

I have a ministry I support as well. The pastor died a few years ago. He was going to plant a church here and passed away before he did. I've been richly blessed by his wisdom and thankful they shared his teachings. I'd like to visit them one day to convey the same.

We don't know how the story ends. Sometimes we feel forgotten or no one cares. But God does and He's weaving tomorrow in ways we can't conceive. It's not too late. You can have the life you want if you follow Him. Our conception of best doesn't compare to His. Trust Him.

~bella

 

[LoveDivine]

Our conception of best doesn't compare to His. Trust Him.

~bella

I agree with this. I think it is difficult to trust God until you truly accept that he is loving and good and wants the best for us. I think sometimes people fear that God will disrupt their plans or prevent something they desire from happening and they shrink back from surrendering their life fully to him. In reality though it's the very opposite. He's trying to prevent us from dettoying our lives through sin or foolish choices. I'm glad to hear that things are working out well for you.