Verse of the Day - 1 Chronicles 16:34

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
~ 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)

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This really should be our mantra, our anchor in life, our grounding wire. In all things, this is where we need to come back to: God is good, and He will never stop loving us. So thank Him for that!

I hate cliches. And one of them is a very familiar call-and-response that believers like to say: "God is good...all the time. And all the time...God is good." I don't like cliches because they become campy, cheesy, and relatively meaningless. It becomes just a catch-phrase, instead of a heartfelt truth. So let me break down that cliche to some heartfelt truth for you today:

God's heart has no evil in it, no deceit or trickery, no bad motives. Goodness fills every fiber of His being, and His desire is to lift people up from the ashes of sin and self and into the blessings of salvation and righteousness. And not only that, but He's not wishy-washy, nor an "Indian giver". He's not a fair-weather lover, who takes a hike when the going gets rough or if He gets bored. His love is as enduring as He is, and that's forever -- this you can count on. 100%. Always.

We all go through hard times. Sometimes, very severely. And we can get derailed in our faith by somehow thinking God doesn't love us anymore, or that He's just being mean, or that He's just handed us over to "fate", cast to the wind of "whatever", sailing on the seas of mysterious calamity with no captain, no sail, and no rudder. But, we need to hold onto the reality of who God is, and His purposes for us. Don't think for a minute that you aren't being tested, because you are. Like going through an Army obstacle course. In the rain. After a 10-mile hike. In the dark.

I challenge you to be pro-active in growing up spiritually. In the midst of whatever you're facing today, or tomorrow, or the next day -- believe me, something will come up -- look to God and recognize His goodness and love, and be thankful, truly thankful, that He is who He is to you. That's your anchor, my friend, and it's truth we must stand on. Abraham raised the knife to slay his son, Isaac, as God told him to, because He relied on the truth about His God (Genesis 22). Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego willingly walked into the fiery furnace because they relied on the truth about their God (Daniel 3). Are you willing to go through the obstacle course of life, trusting in the good God who loves you forever? Or do you throw in the towel and refuse the faith challenge, doubting God and all that He represents?

This is the basis of spiritual growth -- believing in God's goodness and love when life looks bleak, and thanking Him for who He is when the cancer returns, or the bankruptcy notice arrives, or a loved one dies. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and know in the depths of your heart that these circumstances don't define Him. But they do refine you. That is, if you will let them.

Love,
Joelene