Living from the Goodness of God

Lamentations 3:22-23, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

I don't know if it was learned primarily through religion or the culture, but far too many Christians live from the sinfulness/unworthiness of man rather than the goodness of God. To quote Bob Newhart: "STOP IT!"

Hear the words of Jeremiah afresh this morning and allow your heart to be established in them:

The STEADFAST LOVE of the Lord NEVER CEASES
Have you ever considered that God will never stop loving you? His love is steadfast - it can never be moved. His love never ceases - which means it will never end.

His mercies NEVER come to an END
It seems as though somewhere along the way people grabbed hold of the idea that with God you could only go so far. Whether it was religion or the enemy (or both), this mindset has kept people from resting in the goodness of God. The Bible tells us that God delights in mercy. If you delight in something what in the world would keep you from doing it?

They (His mercies) are NEW EVERY MORNING
Tomorrow morning I want you to wake up with this thought: God, I thank you that your mercies are new today.
Start your day with this understanding. Yesterday doesn't matter. Tomorrow isn't even a thought. Today His mercies are new.
Heard this quote last night: "Depression means we are living in the past. Anxiety means that we are trying to live in the future. Peace comes when living in the present."

GREAT is YOUR FAITHFULNESS
Our God is a faithful God. He cannot be compared to any other relationship on this earth. Faithfulness is not something God does but who He is. You need to rest in that faithfulness. You need to trust His heart. And you need to learn to live from the goodness of God.

There is a song by John Mark McMillan titled "I Am A Temple" - here are the lyrics:

Deep inside me there's this burning that just won't let me go
You are my fire, You are my rightesnous, You are my rock and roll
I wish I could fit you down inside my chest, God
I wish that I could swallow you whole
I'd wrap you up in a blanket of my skin and you could call my body home

Cause I am a temple
I am temple
My body is a temple
I am a temple
I am a temple
I am a temple
My body is a temple
I am a temple
So what if I'm not worthy?
So what if I'm not worthy?
You have made me clean!

Well, I can't get over how quickly you recover the pieces of my heart as they shatter
Cause in your hands I am more than just a brand new man
And all my falling down now, well, it just don't matter

I am a temple
I am a temple
My body is a temple
I am a temple
I am a temple
I am a temple
My body is a temple
I am a temple
So what if I'm not worthy?
So what if I'm not worthy?
So what if I'm not worth?
You have made me clean

Now there is someone who has learned or is learning how to rest in the goodness of God. While some may be offended by this type of mindset, we need to understand that trusting in His work in our lives is the greatest form of faith.

The psalmist has said: "Taste and see that the Lord is good." If you have been swamped by religious thinking it may be difficult for you to grasp this. Don't give up. Pick up your Bible and discover who you are in Christ. Thank the Lord daily for His work in your life. And learn to live from His goodness. You will never be the same!!!