The Lord’s goodness surrounds us at every moment. I walk through it almost with difficulty, as through thick grass and flowers.
~ R. W. Barbour (1900- )
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
~ James 1:16-18
Oh beloved, it is true! We have a very good G_d. We have a very good G_d who does not change. This is this writer’s favorite part about his G_d.
G_d is good – and He does not change. Not ever. Not even ever.
Slow down for a moment dear one. Catch what is happening here. We are in a context of existence that is now and never-endingly good.
God is a light that is never darkened; an unwearied life that cannot die; a fountain always flowing; a garden of life; a seminary of wisdom; a radical beginning of all goodness.
~ Francis Quarles (1592-1644)
OK, you might say. So what does that mean for me? Everything friend. Absolutely, positively everything. We are positively swimming in the goodness of One who will always be the same. And then in reading the verse in James within its context, we see that this goodness of G_d is that which helps us to:
endure trial
grow faith
gain wisdom
solidify thinking
stay humble
learn listening
avoid anger
stay pure
live free
be blessed
control speech
worship purely
This is very good news! i don’t know about you friends, but i have no clue how to do any one of the items on the list by myself. However, in Him, He gives us all these things from the riches of His own personal storehouse – and this is a storehouse that does not change inventory and never runs out of stock.
Oh my.
Yeah. This is very good news.
“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that he has given and still preserves to me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses; also clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and child, land, cattle and all my goods; that he richly and daily provides me with all that I need for this body and life, protects me against all danger and guards and keeps me from all evil; and all this purely out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without merit or worthiness in me; for all of which I am in duty bound to thank and praise, to serve and obey him.
~Martin Luther (1483-1546)
