“For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and
honor,
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.”
Psalm 84:11 NIV
It is human nature to doubt the goodness of God in times of trouble.
Many things that happen in this fallen world make no sense at all. Both
believers and non-believers shake their heads in amazement when tragedy strikes
and abuse abounds. Personal loss, pain and suffering leave us feeling helpless
and sometimes abandoned by God.
But God’s Word assures us that is NOT the case. Joshua 1:5b God says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” In
the very next verse God tells us to be strong and courageous. In verse 7 we are
also given a word of caution. “Be careful
to obey.”
Obeying God is our first rule for our spiritual success. We are not to turn to
the right or the left when it comes to obedience. God wants us to stay on the
path of obedience and God is to be our focal point, not our circumstance.
This pathway is very well lit by our Lord. Along the sides of this
path there are also guard rails of our Lord’s protection to be used against Satan and his
lies. “For the LORD God is a sun and
shield;” Psalm 84:11a NIV When
we begin to experience darkness within
our spirit we must be on guard, take notice, and consider the possibility that perhaps we
have veered off the Lord’s path. We have not lost our salvation; we have merely
lost our focus! When we look to our Light, he promises to shield us. What
exactly will God shield us from and who will he shield us from? God will shield
us from Satan for sure, but I also believe that many times, unknown to us, God
has shielded us from the unthinkable. When I get to heaven God may hand me a
list of all the times that he protected me from the hand of another, kept me
away from the fire of self destruction, prevented an accident, and yes, spared
my life. I don’t think about those things because on this side of heaven I am
completely unaware that they have existed. Nevertheless, those were the times
when God bestowed his grace and his favor in my life.
It is so like me to place my focus on the bad times. Of course, I
am human, and what is in my face is my nearest point of reference. Still, if I
will but look to Jesus in the midst of my pain God will bestow on me a
different kind of favor. His grace will rest upon me as he comforts, sustains,
and continues to provide for me. God will not leave my side because he must be
true to his Word. In today’s scripture we are reminded that it is the LORD (who) bestows favor and honor. God is
honorable in all he does. His glory surrounds him and we are the recipient of
his favor and honor. As a result, we are blessed and others are blessed as well.
God receives glory when we understand and share that he is the source of our
blessings.
Still I tend to be a bit confused as to this next phrase. “no good thing does he withhold from those
whose walk is blameless.” Psalm 84:11b NIV Oh! How glad I am that he
said I must walk blameless instead of
saying I must walk perfectly! Talk
about God bestowing his favor and his grace. It is the blood of Jesus Christ
that covers my sinful state. It is only his shed blood that covers me and makes
me blameless. Because of this truth I can be assured that God will not withhold
anything good from me.
I am reminded of another scripture that tells us that God works in our
behalf. “And we know that in all
things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV
The only problem that still remains is perhaps my misconception of what
a “good thing” really is. I think that to understand good I must know that
God is good. Goodness and “good things” originate in the only One who is
perfect in goodness. “He is good; his
love endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 7:3 The good things of the world pale
shamefully by the standard of what God considers to be good. God’s list of good
includes valuable jewels of love, joy, peace. His compassion, mercy, and grace
sparkle in the light of his love. Forgiveness, hope, and eternal life are
priceless gems that are the direct result of his goodness to those who love him.
These are the “good things” that God
promises to his children who have been called according to his purpose. The
faithfulness of our Lord is one of the greatest “good things” that God has ever
chosen to bless his children with.
God’s purpose is to redeem mankind from the curse of sin and get us
safely back to our heavenly home. He has called us all but not all have
answered his call. It is only for those who have answered his invitation to be
redeemed from sin that these “good things” are given. His jewels of goodness
always work for the eternal good of all his children and are vital resources to be enjoyed in this life as well.
Men and women are many times driven by their purposes instead of God’s
purposes. Most of us believe that for life to be good and work well there
must be freedom from poverty, sickness, pain, suffering, and death. Things in
our life need to run smooth and end well. By the world’s standards those are
indeed good things. When favorable things happen in the life of a believer or a
non-believer, God calls them blessings
and for these blessings the believer expresses gratitude to God. However, the
non-believer usually sees their blessings as something that is a direct result
of their own effort, or a stroke of luck, or good karma. The truth is that we
all live in a fallen world that is dying all around us and because of this fact
we will all experience many things in life that will not be good. But God’s “good things” are available to
all who have put their trust in him. God’s
“good things” are available to those who will reach up and take hold of all
that he has promised to those who love him.
Questions:
- Have you ever been confused regarding what a “good thing” really is?
- What does the human mind identify as good things?
- What does God identify as good things?
- What “good things” from the hand of God are you currently enjoying?
- How do the temporal blessings of this life differ from God’s spiritual blessings that are truly good?
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
I am embarrassed to admit that
many times I have misunderstood what a “good thing” really is. Even in the
middle of so many things in my life that are not so good I am still bombarded
from the storehouse of heaven’s riches with so many “good things” that you are
using to bless me with daily. It is with gratitude and joy that I say thank
you. Lord, help me not to take for granted all the “good things” that come from
your hand. In addition, thank you for all the many blessings that I am
privileged to experience and enjoy. Lord, I also want to thank you for who I am
becoming as a result of the things in my life that I do not consider good. Again
Lord, it’s about me trusting you with all that concerns me. Lord, this day I
chose to trust you!
It is in you name I pray. Amen.
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