Gracious Goodness

““Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭24:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.24.5.nkjv
In the season of thanksgiving, those whose experiences have been characterized by distress, disappointments and deprivation may appear to have found swift reason to be moody. Goodness is easily acknowledged through flamboyance and flashy display of affluence, job security and permanent residency in places with the highest standard of living. But when God told prophet Jeremiah that "I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah" as "good figs", there is sufficient reason to accommodate a different perspective of the subject of goodness. Even when the eyes cannot account for a single substance for thanksgiving, the heart can always acknowledge the presence and preservation of the Lord through the thick and the thin twist of life. Within the context of the exiled children of Israel, God's goodness was captured in His declaration: "whom I have sent out of this place for their own good". Through the trials and tribulation of life, God's precious people are preserved for the praise of the gracious goodness of His abiding promises, rather than the celebration of the garnishing goodness of life's abusive prosperities. However, the sincere access to God's goodness is only open to a selfless acknowledgement of the sufficiency of His grace for salvation and preservation. Happy Thanksgiving!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Righteous Resolution

  “ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalm 1 : 1 - 2 , 6 KJV The problem with the concept of New Year resolutions is that the resolutions are results focussed, including new walkout goals, new diet habits, new relationship models for family, social, and workplace partners, etc. We know that these results resolutions are hard to keep and maintain with the best of human strategies. When Thomas Edition acclaimed ‘Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration ’, he probably believed in the divine order of the 1% inspiration in the 100% success principle. Remove the 1 ahead of the 100 and you’ll get zero, NOT 99! Little wonder the psalmist clearly adopted a righteous resolution strategy, instead of ...
Read more

Best Bride

  “ And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son .” Revelation 21 : 6 - 7 NKJV By reflecting on the best activities in the passing year 2025 and its lost privileges and opportunities, the most sincere response in the assessment of human efforts is likely to be baggage. Nothing is definitely assessed as “ It is done! “ on the basis of human limitations on relationships, participation, etc. Notwithstanding, the engagement of God in all of life’s affairs always leads to the production of a transformed life, a new beginning, and somehow like the best bride. Instead of getting wrecked by the disappointments arising from our engagement of human activities and opinions in the passing 2025, we can get rocked by the transformation of Jesus Christ into the best bride for the year 2026...
Read more

Honourable Honesty

  “ Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord! ” Psalms 149 : 5 - 9 NKJV In seasons of afflictions and persecution from a culture of dishonesty, “ Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds ” appears distasteful. While heaven and its promises wait, saints often walk around with their eyes dropped, shoulders lowered, and feet shackled…thinking what a joyful noise in gory? Unfortunately, dishonesty and diplomacy are the only wares that trend in the waiting seasons. Whereas, heaven always expects faith in God to inspire the righteous delight of saints who are called and commanded to be joyful in glory on their beds of af...
Read more