The GOODNESS of God

Do you ever have those moments when the reality of God's goodness hits you like a ton of bricks?! You stand amazed, humbled, and so thankful. If I'm honest, these moments are not as often as they should be and result in a lack of true, heartfelt gratitude and praise to the King. And yet, as I ran around today chasing after a precious little one year old in the rain, I stood humbled, and dumbfounded at how blessed I truly am. This inspired me to make a list, to count my blessings so to speak...obviously it isn't comprehensive because I could go on for pages and pages, but it is just a start and it has left me praising God in a way that He deserves, but in a way I can neglect.

In sharing with you 'my' blessings, I pray that you might be encouraged or inspired to look around, look inside, and reevaluate the goodness of our Lord in your life, and too glorify Him with all that is within you. For as Jerry Bridges said so well, "Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God."

10 Things I'm Thankful For:

(1) Salvation- It all starts here with my new birth as I was given the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to respond...for this I am eternally grateful.

Ephesians 1:3-6 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."

(2) Sanctifying Grace- The ongoing work of the Lord Jesus in my life, DAILY!

Romans 6:22- "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life."

(3) My Husband- The second greatest treasure in my life. For His love, leading, friendship, and encouragement I am so thankful!

1 Corinthians 11:7- "For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man."

(4) The Body of Christ- My true family, the ones who I will spend eternity with, who encourage, spur on, and compel me to love Christ more.

Romans 12:5- "so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

(5) Creation- Every sunset, every raindrop, every mountain, ocean, and flower...I truly am amazed by it all. It is such a picture of the beauty of Christ.

Isaiah 40:26- "Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing."

(6) My Job- I get to spend my days with a precious 16 month old who reminds me to "stop and smell the roses". He reveals to me the intelligent design of our mighty God, the reality of our sinful condition apart from Christ's saving work, and the powerful witness we have in all the world. Not to mention he is pretty darn cute and can always make me smile :)

Matthew 5:16- "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

(7) Kindred Community Church- It is a gift to attend and serve at a church that teaches the unfailing Word of God with boldness and conviction.

Colossians 1:17-20- "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

(8) My Blood Family- I am so grateful for my parents who raised me to love and fear God and for a little brother who spurs me on!

Ephesians 6:4b- "...bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."


(9) Provision- From a roof over my head to the shoes on my feet, God takes care of my little needs and then some!

Matthew 6:26- "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

(10) Enjoying Life- I am so thankful that God has given us good things to enjoy, gifts, such as vacations, and walks on the beach...thank you Lord!

James 1:17- " Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

May your hearts be refreshed by the goodness of God!!