"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalm 23:6
"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,
and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"
Psalm 107:21 KJB
"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"
Psalm 34:8 ESV
The Lord's goodness is a promise. He is good & His love endures forever. He always keeps his promises. He is good & I am loved. Contemplating that goodness, His goodness, is one of the fruits of the Spirit actually seems very foreign to me. Some of the others seem like I can practice, like patience, and 'try harder' to improve.
but GOODNESS? How can I ever be good, if He doesn't make me good?
The answer is that I can't. He is the only one who is good. Christ alone. I can point my boys to Him, show them His goodness, and pray that somehow he would produce the fruit of goodness in me.
I cannot imagine any examples of this fruit being present in my life. Honestly, it would be a complete lie if I tried to claim goodness. But I am so thankful for some of the alternate translations that tell me his goodness is similar to his virtue, his steadfast love, his wonderful deeds, his loyal love, his gracious love, his great love. HIS GOODNESS.
Lord, thank you for your goodness. You are good, and you let me taste and see that it is the truth. Thank you for your faithfulness, your steadfast love, your loyalty, your virtue, and your wonderful deeds. You are so good. Thank you for making more like you; please Lord continue the work you started in me. Let my boys see your goodness; give me wisdom to draw their attention to it. Amen.
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