JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Romans 8:28.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

We are instructed to give thanks in all circumstances. That is because God is at work in the circumstances of those who love Jesus. He is able to weave together the good, bad, and ugly experiences of our lives to bring about God’s good purpose in us. And what is that purpose? The next verse gives us the answer: For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.

God’s priority in our lives is to make us more like Jesus. God’s love gives us a healthy and heavenly perspective through life’s experiences. His power helps us to overcome evil with good-like He did for us at the cross and empty grave.

God’s work in His followers reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4dgJWRLJHSExEbjL2kX5gF?si=77d5afed5b374be8

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Micah 7:18.

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

The depth of God’s love reveals His ability to bury our sins where they are remembered no more. The blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, has the power to cover our sins so that they are no longer held against us on Judgment day. Confessing our sins to God opens the way for His purifying grace to cleanse our corrupted hearts.

Dwight Moody once said, “God has cast our confessed sins into the depths of the sea, and He’s even put a ‘No Fishing’ sign over the spot.

The depth of God’s love reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s goodness is found in Psalm 36:5.

“Your love, LORD reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”

This verse highlights the height of God’s love for us. Jesus came from heaven to earth so that we might ascend from earth to heaven. After accomplishing His mission on earth, Jesus returned to heaven.

Oswald Chambers noted the ascension of Jesus this way: “At his ascension our Lord entered heaven, and he keeps the door open for humanity to enter.”

The door is still open for us today to accept the invitation of Gospel. Now is the time of God’s favor. Now is the day of salvation.

Heaven is the destiny for all who belong to Jesus. It is a place where there is no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

The height of God’s love reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6wCEBUPZPYwCTYyl12544v?si=27b37f86716a46c2

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s goodness is found in Isaiah 59:1.

“Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.”

God’s love is long enough to reach us and rescue us from our sin. Verse 2 tells us that our iniquities have separated us from God. That is why we need redemption. Jesus stretched out His arms at the cross to extend forgiveness to us. Our barrier of sin is removed when we open up to God’s grace.

Jesus went to great lengths from heaven to earth to save us. With His long arm of salvation, He embraces us with His love, brings us into His family of believers, and gives us eternal life. Eternity is a long time. His grace lasts forever.

The length of God’s love reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s goodness is found in Psalm 103, verse 12,

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

God’s love is wide, extending to people of all nations, ethnic groups, and languages around the world. His love is full of mercy, extending forgiveness and salvation to those who put their faith in Jesus.  According to the Bible, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Psalm 103 instructs us to remember all of God’s benefits, and then identifies some of them. Mercy stands out as one of those benefits. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. He is able to separate us from sin so that nothing in all creation can separate us from His love.

The width of God’s love reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s goodness is found in Ephesians 3:17b to 19.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Consider the dimensions of God’s love-

God’s love is wide, stretching across the earth from the east to the west.

God’s love is long, enduring forever.

God’s love is high, extending from the heavens to the earth.

God’s love is strong and mighty to save.

And God’s love is deep, expressing compassion for us with sincerity.

Embracing God’s love every single day will encourage us to grow on that foundation and enjoy the presence of God.

The dimensions of God’s love reveal the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s goodness is found in Psalm 90:14.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

The unfailing love of the LORD is satisfying to our soul. God’s love is like the sunrise-a dependable source of light for our day.

As God’s love refreshes us with grace, we are filled with joy. We have a reason to sing songs of praise to the LORD.  We have motivation to share His love with others because of what the Lord has done in our lives. Thanksgiving overflows into a testimony of God’s goodness.

As we journey through this life, we will find God’s love as the fulfilling place to be. There is power in the blood of Jesus to forgive our sins. There is strength in God’s hand to lead us to a destiny of victory.  Exodus 15:13 says, “In your unfailing love, you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength, you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”

The unfailing love of God reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John@wjtl.com

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Love is in the air! This is a great season to remember God’s true love for us, and sing our hearts out in adoration back to Him. This edition of the Praise & Worship program has a playlist packed with love songs from worship leaders including Pat Barrett, David Crowder, Meredith Andrews, Maverick City Music, Shane & Shane, Davy Flowers, Kari Jobe and more.

Kristi Leigh, WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

Podcast: Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Playlists: Spotify