God is Good!

A couple days ago I was feeling pretty discouraged about our adoption.  I wasn't feeling much hope that we'd get chosen.  I had some time to myself right then so I started looking up verses in my Bible on the topic of God wanting good for me.

See, this is something I often struggle with believing - that God wants good for me.  Even though I have been freed from the laws of being a Mennonite when I became a Christian, the old teachings sometimes still hang around the back of my mind without my barely noticing.  Such as that God gives us what we deserve; what we earn - not gifts and blessings out of His love for us.  I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that God wants to give us good things - I find it hard to ask Him for anything but the very practical needs, and the specifically "spiritual" needs.

But I was so encouraged reading my Bible (where I know that everything is true, and doesn't need to be run through any filter checking if there is error of teaching).  I am not one to decide something, and then look up verses to jive with that.  I would rather know what's true.  Here are the Bible verses that impacted me, followed by the truths that God showed me from them:

"Be gracious to me, O Lord,

for to You do I cry all the day.

Gladden the soul of Your servant,

for to You, O Lord,

do I lift up my soul.

For You, O Lord,

are good and forgiving,

abounding in steadfast love

to all who call upon You.

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;

listen to my plea for grace.

In the day of my trouble I call upon You,

for You answer me...

...For You are great and do wondrous things;

You alone are God."

Psalm 86:3-7 & 10

He is good!  He does wondrous things!  He answers me!

***

"For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord,

plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

He is the one in charge of plans for me!  And His plans are for good!

***

"Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good 

so that your youth in renewed like the eagle's."

Psalm 103:2-5

He satisfies me with good!

***

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one's youth.

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!.."

Psalm 127:3-5

"Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;

your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord...

May you see your children's children!..."

Psalm 128:3-4 & 6

"Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights in His commandments!

His offspring will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed."

Psalm 112:1-2

Although at first glance these verses didn't feel encouraging to me, they do show me this:

God thinks children are a good thing!

***

"Is anyone among you suffering?

Let him pray...

The prayer of a righteous person

has great power as it is working.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours,

and he prayed fervently that it might not rain,

and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the earth.

Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, 

and the earth bore its fruit."

James 5:13 & 16-18

PRAY!  Prayer WORKS!

***

And the verse that stood out to me the most...

"Ask, and it will be given to you;

seek, and you will find;

knock, and it will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives,

and the one who seeks finds,

and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Or which one of you,

if his sons asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

If you then, who are evil,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father in heaven give good things

to those who ask him!"

Matthew 7:7-11

God will give good things to me when I ask Him because He is good! 

***

I hope you have found this encouraging!  Perhaps you don't struggle with believing that God does good things for His people out of the goodness of His heart the way I do, but regardless, I hope these verses have encouraged your faith in Him as they have me!