God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31
For Yaweh is good and His love is eternal. Psalm 100:5
Do not imitate what is evil but what is good. The one who does good is of God. 3 John 1:11
My words…
Praise
I (and many others) have pondered on just the right adjectives to describe You, and we always come up short. Majestic? Too “House of Windsor.” Awesome? Too middle school. Indescribable? A cop-out. Your Holy Spirit has moved biblical writers to use the word “good.” It’s a word in which its foundational meaning has been beaten out through incorrect use. I’ve used the word to describe a better-than-average cheeseburger or the price of a pair of jeans. (“How was your day?” “Pretty good.”) So, if I use this word to describe You, I must embrace its intended meaning or miss out on an anointing of righteous understanding. When You called Your creation very good, You set the standard. Your creation is a reflection of You: perfect, complete, whole, lacking in nothing. Your goodness may best be described through the inverse: You are neither petty, vindictive, nor ambivalent. You do not lose focus or become distracted. You never stop working for my good. You are not wishy-washy or unpredictable. You are, in the truest sense of the word, good.
Prayer for me
I cannot partake in Your omniscience, omnipotence, or omnipresence, but I can partake in Your goodness by doing what is good. You’ve provided me that avenue. Now, I just need help walking it. Like Paul, I know what good to do, I just don’t always do it. You’re not surprised. Disappointed? No more than I. Infuse me with Your goodness, Lord, so I can imitate You.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I attempt to convince myself that I’m good. (“I write a prayer blog. Good for me!”) Pathetic. Your certain forgiveness is only another facet of Your goodness.
Prayer for others
I know, personally, many who do not believe You are good at all. To them You are a bad-tempered, prejudiced, out-of-touch god-wannabe. They have become blinded to Your goodness. How would their lives change if they truly believed in one sentence: God is good? May they find out.
Thank You
The leaves are turning golden red, carpeting my front lawn. A flock of blackbirds are complaining (or rejoicing?) in the treetops so loudly, it makes me laugh. The children across the road are playing as their dog darts around and through them. I am surrounded by Your goodness, and I thank You for sharing it with me.
More praise
You alone are deserving of all my praise because You are the only truly good person I know.
