goodness – Cross Culture Church

Meditation: December 11

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;” Psalm 23:6

It is the goodness of the Lord and His mercy that is close behind to rescue us from the destructive forces there to overtake us. They sneak from behind while we are unaware of what is approaching. Because of God’s goodness and mercy, we have His Presence not far behind.

Our lives cast a shadow. We are often unaware of the effect our lives have upon others who would walk in the shadow that we cast. When we are led by the Shepherd of our souls, we lead others where we are going and where He is willing to guide. They follow us as we follow Christ. The very goodness and mercy that follows us becomes the light before all who would walk in our shoes. We abide in the place where the Lord is, and our greatest joy is to see others enter in.

17 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 17

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” Psalm 65:11

Whatever happens and however it may happen, God ends with the placement of His crown of goodness. That is why He is called good even when things happen that are difficult to explain. When there are valleys there also must be mountains. The deeper the valley indicates the higher the mountain must be. Valley experiences are not always fatal. They can be but not necessarily must be fatal. His path is frightening to the fainthearted. Every wall in the valley contains a message that you have reached the point of no return. But as long as you are aware that He is leading you, you can trust Him throughout the journey. A crown awaits you at the end of the season of testing. Not only is there a crown, but there are rich blessings to be gathered along the way.

10 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 10

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit?” Psalm 139:7

When we are born of the Spirit, the Spirit remains with us wherever we go. He is there in those moments when we feel alone and abandoned. He is there when our hearts drift in directions that would be far removed from the warmth that comes as result of meditation and deep contemplation on His goodness towards us. Our reluctance to draw closer to Him does not affect His pursuit of us. His Spirit is wooing us in our darkest hour to deeper levels of intimacy with the Son of God. Only Jesus can reveal to us the love of the Father that will provide stability and purpose for our lives. He was that voice of conscience convicting us when we were wrong. He was that voice of encouragement pressing us forward when we had the opportunity to do right. The Spirit is both our Comforter and our Guide. He alone can reveal to us the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

03 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 3

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; (8) but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.” Hebrews 6:7-8

What we have experienced and participated in with God is not merely for ourselves. He allows us to experience His goodness in order to provide healing for others. Either we will bear healing herbs for wounded, restless, and reckless souls, or we bear thorns and briers to further wound them. The deepest wound is wielded by sword-handlers who are unskilled in spiritual warfare. They cannot effectively interpret God’s grace in ways to benefit the wayward. We have been enlightened, tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. Therefore, we are the ones that are to bear herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated. The fruit of our lives is for those who wish to know the Source and purpose for our being alive. Then, we are able to live our lives as a blessing to others and a praise unto the Lord.

08 Jan 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: January 8

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

Believing is more than a casual thought in the direction of God. It is a firm conviction that God will do everything He has promised. His glory will cover the earth and we will be glorified together with Him. Our faith is not in vain, nor will our prayers go unanswered; yet circumstances often make it easy to identify with the Psalmist would have otherwise lost heart.

Faith is not faith unless it has been tested. The trying of our faith is more precious than gold. When we believe even when there are no visible signs to support our beliefs, God is then the primary focus of our lives. His goodness is not limited to the past, but to the present. He is our present help in the time of trouble and He is working all things according to His definition of good and for our glory. Our trust in Him provides a means for Him to complete His work within us; then we are enabled to see the goodness of the Lord in all things.

27 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 27

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

To lose heart is to become fainthearted when fear holds its grips upon the soul. It is when discouragement occurs as result of failed hopes and dreams. Things were expected in a certain amount of time; a rescue from a dilemma, but the situation remained the same. Time is beyond our control, but not beyond our management. Each moment must be used as an opportunity to further develop the stature of the soul. Each day, a lesson is learned and applied to our eternal destinies so that even our failures amount to success in God. We are being trained for eternity. God is taking us through a course in life that will increase the measure of our faith in Him alone. The outward man is perishing along with its passions for the external and temporal things. As we grow older we grow wiser in our values. We are now seeking those things which are above where Christ is. All other things are being held loosely in light of their eternal value. The confidence we have in Christ is that life as we have known it to be is not the only chapter in this story. The greatest chapters await us and are yet to be written regardless of how old we may be. Even death cannot stop what God has in store for us but only serves as a passageway into the eternal. The outward man is perishing, but the inward man is being renewed day by day. Now the gospel message is known to be good news to us. We are able to see the goodness of the Lord that surpasses the temporary elements of this world and to see beyond our own feebleness. The time will come when we will be re-clothed or re-suited with a body conducive to the spiritual development of our souls thus possessing the ability to give full expression to what God have placed within our hearts to both be and to do. We do not desire to be naked, but to be clothed in immortality and now we have hope that the God who promises it will deliver.

10 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 10

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does.” Job 23:13

God is complete in and of Himself. He is not like us with needs that may cause our focus to shift from one thing to another. Those are the limits placed upon the human experience. We navigate through time not knowing the things that lie ahead of us. But God knows the end before the beginning. He is light and in Him are no shifting shadows. Why would He change His mind for such things that may be a fleeting thought within our minds? Instead of His mind being changed by us, our minds are to be renewed by Him. True humility is exercised when we are willing to forgo our will what another wills. When we trust Him in areas not completely understood, He will give us the will and desire to please Him. We will experience His goodness and grow in our understanding of dimensions of His love. What a blessing it is to find pleasure in what pleases Him! His uniqueness can then be celebrated rather than loathed. Some may wish to wrestle out of His hands what is exclusively His. He is God alone and infinite. We are but instruments of clay and finite. It is His life within us that sets us apart from the rest of the world. Nothing can be compared to the joy that is experienced when our ways please the Lord. He gives us His joy, a joy that the world cannot receive nor comprehend.

17 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 17

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” Psalm 65:11

Whatever happens and however it may happen, God ends with the placement of His crown of goodness. That is why He is called good even when things happen that are difficult to explain. When there are valleys there also must be mountains. The deeper the valley indicates the higher the mountain must be. Valley experiences are not always fatal. They can be but not necessarily must be fatal. His path is frightening to the fainthearted. Every wall in the valley contains a message that you have reached the point of no return. But as long as you are aware that He is leading you, you can trust Him throughout the journey. A crown awaits you at the end of the season of testing. Not only is there a crown, but there are rich blessings to be gathered along the way.

10 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 10

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit?” Psalm 139:7

When we are born of the Spirit, the Spirit remains with us wherever we go. He is there in those moments when we feel alone and abandoned. He is there when our hearts drift in directions that would be far removed from the warmth that comes as result of meditation and deep contemplation on His goodness towards us. Our reluctance to draw closer to Him does not affect His pursuit of us. His Spirit is wooing us in our darkest hour to deeper levels of intimacy with the Son of God. Only Jesus can reveal to us the love of the Father that will provide stability and purpose for our lives. He was that voice of conscience convicting us when we were wrong. He was that voice of encouragement pressing us forward when we had the opportunity to do right. The Spirit is both our Comforter and our Guide. He alone can reveal to us the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

03 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 3

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; (8) but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.” Hebrews 6:7-8

What we have experienced and participated in with God is not merely for ourselves. He allows us to experience His goodness in order to provide healing for others. Either we will bear healing herbs for wounded, restless, and reckless souls, or we bear thorns and briers to further wound them. The deepest wound is wielded by sword-handlers who are unskilled in spiritual warfare. They cannot effectively interpret God’s grace in ways to benefit the wayward. We have been enlightened, tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. Therefore, we are the ones that are to bear herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated. The fruit of our lives is for those who wish to know the Source and purpose for our being alive. Then, we are able to live our lives as a blessing to others and a praise unto the Lord.