Christianity Oasis Forum

[kimberly]

Thank You, heavenly Father, for all you have given us. Of all your gifts, Jesus was the the most perfect. Thank You, You give good gifts to your children, and we are thankful. Welcome Holy Spirit. In Jesus Name, amen.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. {James 1:17}

Several years ago, I had something happen that was not such an unusual thing.....I wrote a check for my electric bill, put it and the bill into my purse, and left to go into town and run errands. While I was out, I had lunch and went shopping.

When I got home, and went to my purse to get my receipts out, I discovered I had forgotten to go pay the electric bill. To my horror, I found the bill, but no check. I tore that purse apart, looking for the check I had written, but didn't find it.

Thoughts flooded into my head. What if someone dishonest found that check? Got my bank information? My Social Security number? What if some weirdo found it and had my address, or phone number? Aaaaaaaaaaa....

Then the voice inside me spoke up. 'You know what to do', it said. All the things that clamored for me to scream and cry quieted. I did know what to do. So I opened my mouth and said:

"Thank You, Father, You perfect that which concerns me. You know where that check is, please send it home to me. I do not fret or worry, You are on my side. In Jesus name, amen."

I did not make any calls to search for the check. Everytime I was tempted to worry, I thanked God for helping me instead. We had snow on the ground at this time, and that same night, we got 4 inches more.

Now we get to the not-so-usual part of the story. The very next day, I got a call from the restaurant where I had lunch the day before. The lady on the phone asked for me- then said, "We found your check and we have it here at the restaurant." (This was more than 20 miles away...and I wanted it, but in the build-up of snow and ice, no way was I going there!)

I said,"maybe you could mail it to me?" (All the while I am thinking, Bless God, He came through! Halleluia!) Then the lady said, "I could, but we have an employee coming to your area, and they will drop it off."

WOOOOHOOOOOO---now, that's the Goodness of God! Not only did He get my check to me, He walked it right up to the door, in half a foot of snow!

This is not a life and death example, it was a small matter, but the willingness of our Father to get involved in our lives includes the small things that are important to us. This is a gift to us.....the gift of the Goodness of God.

Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse]. {James 1:17, amp}

God is goodness, just as He is Love, And as the scripture in James says, there is no variation in Him-- He is Goodness all the time. As Jesus said..,

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! {Matthew 7:9-11}

God is willing to give us His goodness. Just as He is willing for us to have all the fruit of the Spirit, He is willing that we have goodness. Then, why don't some of us have goodness in our lives? What causes God to move in your life, in goodness?

how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

To those who ask Him.....haven't we asked? Surely we have, but nothing seems to be happening. Except, the bad things are still going on. When does the goodness happen?

It happens the minute we ask, believe it. Except, when our faith wavers. Except, when the words of our mouths kill our answer. Except, when our feelings get the better of our faith, and we have a meltdown.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

....Crucified the flesh with it's passions and desires......this isn't just about 'love' emotions, it is also about all the wants and feelings we have that get out of control. "Passions" covers anger fits, crying jags, cursing and ranting. "Desires" includes selfishness, covetousness, and envy.

Crucifying our flesh is not fun, or easy. It's a matter of saying "No" to ourselves....to that godless human nature we were all born with. It is a matter only God can help us overcome, and it's never anything we can overlook if we want a victorious life.

God is goodness, and he has provided every answer we need to live this life in victory. What is the answer to "How do I crucify my flesh?"

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit......If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit, we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]

By the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we have life eternal..from God. 'Let us go forward....our conduct controlled by the Spirit.' When the Spirit in us directs our steps, our feelings, our words, and our actions, our flesh does not have a choice but to do the right thing.

Living by the Spirit and crucifying our flesh is choosing to do what we know God wants, even when we feel like panicking, even when we want to curl up and give up, even when we want to scream in anger.

How many times did I stop the goodness of God with my words of doubt, discouragement, or self-pity? How often did God send His goodness my way, and I mourned, because I didn't see it as quickly as I thought I ought to? What will I begin to say to Him, when I know one day, what He really had planned for me, and I chose the crooked path with my actions?

But hear the Good News..... God is in the forgiveness business too, and there is always another chance to get things right.Halleluia!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. {James 1:17}