"Jesus loves me". Yup - yes He does. Saying it is good. Knowing in your "knower" is best. Think about people you love and that love you. Chances are good memories come to mind. Why is that? Because you recall the love of other people based on past experience.
My most favorite time with my hubby is when we recount how we met, fell in love and traversed the years. Why? We are remembering the history of our love together.
You think I'm going to say to recount how God has been faithful and you have seen His love in your life. Well yes - that is a marvelous thing, but I want to take you back a little further. Sometimes we credit God with things (typically hardships) that ended up producing good when all the while your enemy was the instigator and God turned that bad to good. Ready to go back?
We're going back to Scripture. STOP please. Read the next few sentences out loud and preferably to someone else.
When Jesus came to earth, the announcement from the angels was, "Glory to God (translates "have a good opinion of God"), peace on earth (Jesus is who? The Prince of Peace), goodwill towards men."
So like this: "Humans - have a good opinion of God, Peace is on earth and He is God's good will towards you." (That is from the ARV - Arin Rentz Version.)
Jesus changed everything and God is NOT mad at you. Not a news flash to you probably, but hold on. Look again.
When the leper came to Jesus and said, "Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus touched him and said, "I am willing, be cleansed." LOOK AGAIN! He touched him - Jesus touched him. Jesus didn't need to do that - the leper only wanted to be clean, but Jesus went above and beyond. He touched someone who had not experienced physical touch in years! He went above and beyond - why? Because His will is good towards us. He LOVES so much that He exceeds what is required in the situation and shows His goodness.
I hope you're still reading out loud.
Feeding the 5,000. There were how many baskets left over? Twelve. Did there need to be any left over? Nope. Jesus went above and beyond - why? He LOVES us so much, His will is good towards us that He goes beyond what is needed in the situation. Similar situation happened in the feeding of the 4,000. Baskets left over.
Water into wine at the wedding. Would life have gone on if Jesus had not done this miracle? Of course. So they would have been terribly embarrassed. No one's life was in danger or sick or such. Jesus could have just matched what the quality of wine they already had, but no. He went above and beyond again. So much that the banquet master took note that the new wine was better quality than the first (which is typically the best according to custom). Why? Because it is yet another example of God's goodwill - the goodness of God towards us shown through His son.
Last one I'm highlighting. Prodigal son. Don't tune out - look again. Father was looking for him. Ran to greet him - RAN. And not just greet him - bowled him over with bear hugs is more along the lines of the Greek words used to describe the meeting. Didn't even wait to hear the son's speech. Robe, a ring and sandals. A feast - not your average KFC family meal. A feast! To celebrate the fact that his son was home. Did the Father scold? Demand repentance? Turn him away? Make him a servant instead of a son? NO! The Father went above and beyond - why? Because this is yet another story of God's goodwill towards us - the goodness of God and a picture of what He thinks about us. While we were still sinners - He sent His Son (His goodwill) to us to deliver us before we even knew we needed it.
Is anyone smiling yet?!? Is this sinking in?
Every single time I remember these stories and look again to see the extra length that Jesus went - the above and beyond - the little details that are not actually little at all, HOPE rises in my heart.
The prattle of the enemy is suddenly silent because I am remembering and believing - reading with my very own eyes - how good God is and wants to be to me. The things Jesus did were always superabundant, beyond what was needed. THAT is our God. THAT is our GOOD God.
Why is it important to remember this truth? Because your enemy would have you forget. Because your enemy would have you live otherwise. Because your enemy would be SO happy for you to believe wrongly that God sends sickness to teach a lesson or that God sends poverty to humble when your enemy is the author. Why would you fight something that you think is from God? Why would you resist if you thought it was God trying to teach you a lesson. OPEN YOUR EYES and LOOK AGAIN. Re-read the stories if need be. See the goodness of God.
If sickness was from God, then Jesus went around undoing God's will and we KNOW that is not true. In fact, Jesus said out of His own mouth in John 5:30 he only does the will and pleasure of His Father. We also see in the Scriptures that Jesus went about healing ALL who were sick and oppressed of the devil (OF THE DEVIL, not of God). Let that sink in please.
Understand the Old Testament and stories from that period in history were BEFORE Jesus, before His life that changed everything. Believe right that God is good all the way through and that His will is ONLY good towards you. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. You get to change how your life is lived out by simply believing rightly about God.
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