Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

March 17
Wednesday


A GOOD GOD

READ:
Psalm 46
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The LORD also will
be a refuge for the
oppressed, a refuge in
times of trouble.
__Psalm 9:9
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When my brother-in-law was a missionary in Mali, West Africa, he was involved in a traffic accident. A man had wandered into the road in front of Chuck's motorcycle. The cycle struck the man and sent chuck and the bike sliding along the ground for more than 200 feet. Shortly after chuck regained consciousness in the hospital, his doctor told him he had been "really lucky." Chuck smiled and replied, "God is good."

Later he thought about the day's events The man who was struck hadn't received any permanent injuries, and Chuck would also recover from his injuries. But what if one of them had been killed? He thought, God would be no less good.

When we experience tragedy, we may wonder about God's goodness. Is God always good? Yes, He is. He doesn't promise that bad things will never happen to us, but He does promise to be "our refuge and strength" (Ps. 46:11). He doesn't promise that we will never walk through heart-wrenching circumstance, but He promises that we won't be alone (23:4).

God is good--no matter what suffering we are experiencing. Even when we don't understand, we can say with Habakkuk, "Yet will I rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (3:18). __Cindy Hess Kasper
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`````````````````O taste and see that God is good`````````````````
````````````````````To all who seek His face;````````````````````
```````````````Yea, blest the one who trusts in Him,````````````````
````````````````Confiding in His grace. __Psalter``````````````````
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God tests our faith
so that we may trust His faithfulness.

*************Today's Bible Reading __ Psalm 46******************

1 God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help
in trouble. 2 Therefore we
will not fear, even though
the earth be removed, and
though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the
sea; 3 though its waters roar
and be troubled, though the
mountains shake with its
swelling.

4 There is a river whose
streams shall make glad the
city of God, the holy place
of the tabernacle of the
Most High. 5 God is in the
midst of her, she shall not
be moved; God shall help
her, just at the break of
dawn. 6 The nations raged,
the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the
earth melted.

7 The LORD of hosts is
with us; the God of Jacob is
our refuge.

8 Come, behold the works
of the LORD, who has made
desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to
the end of the earth; He
breaks the bow and cuts the
spear in two; He burns the
chariot in two; He burns the
chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I
am God; I will be exalted
among the nations, I will be
exalted in the earth!

11 The LORD of hosts is
with us; the God of Jacob is
our refuge.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Psalm 46 expresses praise for the God who is. What despair and
purposelessness the atheist must experience! Yet the psalmist who
is in vital union with the living God encourages us in the joy and
direction that only God can give. He praises the Lord: for all the
help that He provides (vv.1-3), for His divine presence (vv.4-7), and
for the future peace that He will establish (vv.8-11).
--DENIS FISHER