We had the privilege this morning of spending time in worship with our friends at "grace" church.
I was humbled to be able to preach about "the undinding goodness of God".
Psalm 107 starts by saying...
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!"
It finishes by saying...
"Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord."
The psalm begins and ends with the steadfast love of God, reminding us that the whole of our lives are lived in this context of his never ending goodness. The message this morning had 4 simple points
1) GOD IS GOOD
2) GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME
We discover this even in our darkest moments and most difficult circumstances
3) We see that GOD IS GOOD most AT THE CROSS
4) One day if we are trusting our lives to him, WE WILL SEE GOD's GOODNESS FULLY IN HEAVEN.
I go back to a dark day some years ago, alone in bed struggling with disabiliting illness. My body was shaking (through living off muscle protein), my eyes were shut with the pain, and my only desire was to keep still in the hope that this pain would one day go away, that "normal life" would miraculously resume, and that my blood infection would be met with a remedy.
Sometimes we ask "Can God still be good when our world / circumstance is so bad?"
In that moment God met with me in an amazing way, and showing me the cross of Jesus Christ, reminded me that he chose my pain. This truth for me was the brightest ray which pierced all the dark clouds. Why would God chose to take our pain?
Isaiah says ...
"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering"
Why would he do that? His love for us.... his steadfast love for you and me. He chose to be rejected outside of a city, in order that we might come close to God. He chose to be alone, and bare the judgement we deserve before an altogether Holy God, in order that we, with countless others (from East West, North and South (Psalm107:3)) might join in the one song of heaven...
"Worthy is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
I look at the good times and all we are enjoying as a team here over the last few days, and there is only one response to it all -Give thanks for God is good. I don't know whether you've done that today, or you've ever done that?... but before you put your head on the pillow tonight , you should!
Not only has God given you breath today to live in his world, but he's opened up for you a hope and a future in Jesus Christ. If you trust in his goodness and not your own, you can say that your life is in a good place today, you are safe and will always be safe in the never ending goodness of God.
This evening we joined with 1000 or so folks at a concert hall in downtown Odessa.
The venue was stunning, the music was even more sublime, and all of it done to the glory of God. It really was a taste of heaven. God is completely and utterly worthy of the highest praise. As we listened to the "hallelujah"s ringing out to honour the God (to whom we owe everything) , we thanked him for one more day lived on earth and one more day closer to heaven. Make sure you are preparing for that day. There is soon coming a day when you and I stand before the perfection of God, and our only hope on that day is that we have asked God to accept us on the basis of the goodness he has provided for us at the cross of Jesus Christ. What hope do you and I have if we have rejected the goodness of Jesus, and instead attempt to prove to God that we are good enough? Thank God we don't need to, becuase the darkest day in cosmic history led to a bright morning three days later. It proved beyond all doubt that sin, death and all God's enemies, could never and will never defeat the goodness of GOD. Our appropriate response is to trust in him for a certain hope, a guarenteed future and the sure anticpation that we accepted by the God whose goodness will never end.
I hope you are able to say that tonight. You will be in good company if you do... not only with the Choir and Orchestra of Odessa, but all kind of peoples from every nation who are all discovering that GOD IS GOOD. If you are joining in the song of heaven today, then you can be sure your life is in a good place.
Speak tomorrow... when we return from the sublime ...to the basement :)
Sleep well, in certain JOY, and sure hope,
Taste and see - He is so, so, Good!
Love
BLOGSKI
