God is Good

God is Good:

"The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." (Psalm 145:9)

Too often I become vulnerable to the snares of fear and doubts. Doubts debilitate and drown me in the downpour of a disrupted day. When all seems to be crumbling to pieces, my heart beats faster and faster, my feet begin to feel as though they're sinking into the earth, and erratic hands begin to flail around trying to grip onto whatever they can that might protect me from such a destructive ordeal.

Sometimes I must ask myself, "Have you forgotten who He is? Have you failed to recall all of His wondrous goodness towards you?" I step back, reevaluate my stance on this problematic concern, and then I turn my head upwards and plead, "Could You remind me once more, Father? Could You remind me that I need not fear?"

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands." (Psalms 138:7-8)

Somehow I seem to lose sight of the One who oversees every event. When my eyes become shrouded with the fear of all that is rising up around me, I slip into the habit of retreating because it all frightens me to the very core of my being.

I reverse my approaching the Father, because I FEAR. I fear that He may be upset, and I fear that possibly He's forgotten about my weaknesses. Fear begins to feast on my every thought, taking my mind hostage.

There are many imperative puzzle pieces missing from the picture I've composed inside my head. However, the monstrosity of this heap of pieces overwhelms me. In response, I can only see the menacing fear-pieces which glare with horrifying possible outcomes. The resulting imagery in my mind is mistakenly devoid of God's glorious, peace-filled promises.

"You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance." (Psalms 32:7)

I must quiet the quivering soul to hear the whispers of deliverance, hope, and peace. God sings over me, even when I'm consumed with consternation. But this is not all He does, He also silences the sweltering flames of uncertainty with His unwavering Presence and guidance.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." (Psalms 32:8)

He's leading me and carefully looking out for me, as to ensure that I'm not swallowed up by sorrowful fear again. He graciously guides me in the path of His perfect peace. He desires to see me run my race with spectacular endurance and overflowing joy, and run right into His everlasting arms.

"And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!" (2 Timothy 4:18)

He is so good to me! Why? Not because I deserve it, but because He shall be the One to receive honour and glory for every miraculous provision He pours out. I'm so amazed by His unfailing goodness and compassion.

"For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot." (Psalms 91:11-13)

This is such an assuring passage of Scripture. Psalms 91 contains lots of verses to ease even the most bewildered mind. Verses 11-13 provide the promise to trample over our enemies with the aid of God's angle army. Verses 7 and 10 are also fantastic to declare God's faithfulness over protection from illnesses.

"A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you...No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling" (Psalms 91:7, 10)

The Psalm is actually titled, "Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God." This whole chapter is meant to soothe the seething soul, so rid yourself of those burning burdens and relinquish all anxious thoughts to the Lord's care. He has a promise for you to hear today.

"“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”" (Psalms 91:14-16)

The Lord sees our genuine hearts turned to Him in the utmost adoration, and He blesses that. Let's give thanks and receive Him into our troubled hearts today, for He has a plan of deliverance for us. He plans to prosper us and not harm us (Jeremiah 29:12). All that He orchestrates is set into action for our benefit not befall (Romans 8:28), so whom have we to fear (Psalms 27:1)?

Run into His arms today, and receive a renewed vision for the situations you're going through. One thing we all must continually remember is that He is with us at all times. No matter how lost, no matter how afraid, and no matter how broken, God still invites us into His arms. He is so gracious! Our God is so good!

-The Introverted Evangelist

Photograph Taken By: Jon Courville