Good grief!

Psalm 119:65-72

65 You have done many good things for me, LORD, just as you promised. 66 I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge. 67 I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. 68 You are good and do only good; teach me your principles. 69 Arrogant people have made up lies about me, but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart. 70 Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your law. 71 The suffering you sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your principles. 72 Your law is more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver!  

Some passages of Scripture are read in church services and are promptly followed by a hearty, "May God bless the reading of His word." I get that. I'm not saying anything bad about the people who do that. But have you ever noticed that some Scriptures are too "risky" to be read publicly?

For instance, can you imagine a preacher standing before his church saying, "Arrogant people have made lies about me, but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart. Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your law. May God bless the reading of His word." I'd pay money to see that! :o)

Nonetheless, I love the honesty of the writer of this Psalm. He's not exactly holding back on how he feels about the people who have mistreated him. It's easy to speak the truth about people who have "dull and stupid" hearts.

However, he was also honest about himself:

1. He admits that he doesn't have the best judgement and knowledge and he asks God for it.

2. He admits that he has wandered from God in the past and had to be disciplined.

3. He admits that prior to the suffering God allowed, he didn't pay attention to God's principles.

I can get behind a person who is flawed as along as they can openly admit that they are flawed and can do nothing good without God. Ultimately, none of us have any good in us outside of God.

Today's meditation was on another attribute of God: God is good.

It's easy for people to believe that God is some big gavel holder in the sky ready to strike them dead with a bolt of lightening for any mistake. It's simply not the case. While God is the giver of life and has the power to give it and take it away, He is also good and will use any means necessary to help us see and experience His goodness...even suffering.

Have you ever been through a situation in your life that made you wonder if you'd ever survive it because it hurt so badly, but after it was all done and over, you said you'd go through it all over again if you had to because you have seen wonderful things come from it?

I have. My marriage went through a seriously painful and rocky patch several years ago. All signs pointed to a divorce and I was scared. The situation was so painful that there are no words to describe how I felt. However, in His GOODNESS, God intervened and showed me what He can do when I let go of the reigns. Not only did He save my marriage, but he restored the relationship between me and my husband, He healed all the wounds that caused our trouble in the first place, and He helped us to forgive those who had hurt us (including each other). Through a process, God got a hold of my heart and my husband's heart and completely changed us both. We are now more in love than we were to begin with and we are better people than we were before all of this happened. It's not because we're just great people. It's because we let the goodness of God come into our lives to guide us through the pain we were suffering. 

I certainly don't deserve what God has done for me, but He did it anyway because He is good (and I am thankful!)

How has God been good to you?