By The Spirit - GOODNESS
*Note: I gotta get up at the butt crack of dawn tomorrow, so this installment is coming in hot at 10PM the night before. Still worth it.
GUYS. So much to celebrate today. It’s the first Sabbath of 2019. My friends are planting a church in Austin today, and we are flying high in Galatians five. It’s a good day.
Speaking of good, today we are talking about goodness.
When I think about things being “good” the very first thing that comes to mind is creation, and God calling each thing that he made “good”. Stars: “good”. Mountains: “good”. Turtle: “good”. Dragonfly: “good”. People: “very good.”
The word good in the bible is often interchanged with the word glory or holiness. In Galatians 5 for example, goodness is the greek feminine (hollleerrr girlllls) noun agathōsynē. It means “uprightness of heart and life”. How beautiful. But that uprightness is an integrity. Standing tall in goodness.
Holiness, glory, and GOODNESS have an overlapping in the Old Testament worthy of talking about.
When I first realized this I had a massive revelation. I was reading about the Moses asking God to see his “glory”. (Exodus 33). Moses inquires of God, “God, let me see your glory,” and God responds, “Moses, I will show you my GOODNESS.”
I stopped and reread: Moses asks God, CLEARLY for glory. God responds, “you got it kid. Here’s my goodness.”
Legit thoughts I had after:
Me: “I’m sorry, God, but uh, did you not HEAR Moses? He asked for GLORY.”
God: “Ya. I know, I’m showing him my GOODNESS.”
And that’s when it hit me.
His goodness is so GOOD it’s his GLORY.
Maybe you’re like me, and when you think of the “holiness” or “glory” of God it sometimes can make you feel unworthy (which we are, indeed). Sometimes it can make us feel like God is SO other, untouchable almost because he is HOLY. And I am JESSIE. (I can’t fold a fitted SHEET for crying out loud. I certainly have fallen short of the perfection of God.)
But then I discover that the glory of God is akin to the goodness of God.
Hang with me:
This means that when the glory of God is on display we see him in all his GOODNESS. How compassionate, merciful, deep, kind, strong, mighty, everlasting, GOOD is God. Suddenly God’s glory is something we want to be close to, not shy away from, if you follow - because, well, his glory-ness is GOOD.
What this means for us walking in the Spirit is that when we walk in GOODNESS we are walking with upright hearts after the holiness of God. Can you imagine? Us mere humans having the indwelling of an eternal God, and getting to walk after and in his glory? With upright hearts and lives? And friend, there is no better life than this. With our chins up, our gaze ahead, our hearts full of GOD’s Spirit we walk into our days.
Bringing his glory, his GOODNESS wherever we go.
If you have time, jot down a few thoughts with the Lord:
The imagery of an “upright heart and life” is a man/woman walking tall. What do you think this says about the goodness/holiness of God?
What would it look like for you TODAY to walk with an “upright heart and life”?
My prayer is that you know the JOY of walking in God’s holiness, and feeling the reverberations of his goodness in your being and the spheres you inhabit. God has so much goodness to pour out today!
Walk tall, good hearted friend,
jessie
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 27:13
2 Thessalonians 1:11
Exodus 33:18-23