Merry Christmas to you and to your family!
Pastor Terri and I are so BLESSED to have such a wonderful church family. We love what
we do, and we love our congregation.
Thank you so much for your supply of the spirit and your faithfulness to EMIC. I am so
thankful for how The LORD takes such good care of us. Here is a perfect scripture as we approach
a new year. Psalm 65:11 (New King James Version) says, “You crown the year with Your goodness,
and Your paths drip with abundance.” We are in agreement that your every need is met, every bill
paid, every debt wiped out, and there is more than enough left over to be a major BLESSING to
others. That is the goodness of God!
I believe you will experience the goodness of God this Christmas like never before. God’s
goodness is designed to absolutely overwhelm us.
King David expressed how overwhelmed he was at God’s goodness when he wrote, “How
great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in
the sight of men on those who take refuge in you” (Psalm 31:19, New International Version—84).
God’s goodness represents everything that God is, everything that God has and
everything that God desires for us to experience. The word goodness in the Hebrew means
“good in the widest sense”1 of the word. One could say that God is good to the furthest extreme.
This God kind of goodness far surpasses anything that the world has to offer. Look at James 1:17
in the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition. “Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is
from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light….”
Recently, I began looking up scriptures concerning the goodness of God. I have been
immersing myself in those scriptures. It really has helped to refresh my thinking.
Psalm 23:6 (NKJV) says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life; and I will dwell in the house of The LORD forever.” The word follow actually means “to
pursue.”2 Think about it! The goodness of God is constantly pursuing us!
Psalm 33:5 tells us that “the earth is full of the goodness of The LORD.” You are familiar
with Psalm 34:8: “O taste and see that The LORD is good.”
Psalm 86:5 in the AMPC reveals, “For You, O LORD, are good, and ready to forgive [our
trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever]; and You are abundant
in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.”
Praise God for Psalm 145:9 (NKJV), “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are
over all his works.” How vast and how magnificent is the goodness of God!
How can one describe the goodness of God in just one sentence? While studying this topic
many years ago, I asked myself that question. At that moment, my daughter called, so, I asked
Aubrey how she would describe the goodness of God in just one sentence. This is what she said:
“The goodness of God is the greatest good that we could ever think of—only greater!”
Wow, what a statement! I told her that it reminded me of Ephesians 3:20 in the AMPC.
“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is
able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare]
ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].”
Now, THAT is the goodness of God! No matter how good we think God is, His goodness to
us is greater still.
The more we magnify God’s goodness, the more of His goodness will be magnified in our lives.
Focusing on His goodness will amplify all He has done, all that He is doing, and all that He is going to do.
The wonderful thing about His goodness is that He wants to demonstrate that goodness
through us to others. Look at 1 Peter 2:9 in the New Living Translation: “You are royal priests, a
holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God,
for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”
We should be the manifestation of God’s goodness to others.
This Christmas, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
God is so good!
Pastor George
