20 June 2023

A SIMPLE REMINDER THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL AND WANTS TO POUR HIS GOODNESS ON US

By John Ollis

I have been a Christian for almost 72 years, and what an exciting blessed journey it has been. When one gets old, reminscing is a common practice, you may have heard the saying “HINDSIGHT HAS 20/20 VISION”. I guess meaning there may have been many situations over the years that at the time we did not understand, but looking back we can now see the Hand of God in it all, we even may have often asked the question WHY.? When we also come to have an understanding of THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, we see GOD HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE IN TOTAL CONTROL in our world, and we can say with the Apostle Paul Rom.8:28-30 NKJV And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

I am reminded this morning so much of Lam.3:22-23 NKJV Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are NEW every morning; Great is Your FAITHFULNESS.

N.L.T. The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

AMP.O.T. It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

MESSAGE God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!

Hasn’t the Lord always been there every time when we needed Him? Sadly, there have been so many times we didn’t cry out to Him immediately, and in hindsight sure regret those decisions.

A verse that so relates to Lam. 3:22-23 is Romans 2:4 NKJV Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that THE GOODNESS OF GOD leads you to repentance?

I want to publicly testify to THE GOODNESS OF GOD, in all honesty it is undeserved, but God’s FAITHFULNESS AND GOODNESS ALWAYS HAS A PURPOSE FOR US TO REPENT.

We often think Repentance is just about being sorry for our sins, but it means so much more than that, it must become the CONSTANT LIFESTYLE OF THE BELIEVER.

REPENTANCE MEANS:

A change of mind

A change of direction

A change of affection

Even though we are born again, there are still those things in our nature that we often want to do our own thing, and not the will of God.

The Apostle Paul tells in Rom.12:1-2 NKJV I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

N.L.T. I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

PASSION Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.

Paul writes in the Aorist Greek tense, which means we have to do this CONTINUALLY.

You may have heard the saying, “What is the problem with a “living sacrifice”? It is always wanting to crawl off the altar”. I am sure if you are honest you will agree with that statement.

So, today I am simply writing to remind you that the Lord is ever FAITHFUL, He ever wants to show His GOODNESS to us, so that we learn to live a life of REPENTANCE ever CHANGING and going in direction God has for us.

I trust this simple blog has blest and encouraged you,