John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Psalm 107, verse 8.

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”

This statement appears 4 times in this Psalm.  The writer points out different ways in which people in distress cried out to the Lord and He answered by saving them in their distress. This Psalm ends by saying, “Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.”

In a moment of crisis, we are reminded that we need the grace of God. There is no more desperate state for the soul than to be lost in sin. But there is good news for the person in this desperate place. God has provided a Savior, whose name is Jesus.

Isaiah 59:1 says, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” That is especially encouraging to us when we find ourselves in a spiritual crisis.

The loving deeds of the LORD reveal the Goodness of God and are reasons 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 Acts 3:26.

“When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

A relationship with Jesus will transform us from the inside out. His influence adjusts our attitude to be more like Jesus, which consists of obedience to God’s plan, a lifestyle of service, and willingness to sacrifice for others.

The influence of Jesus will transform our heart toward virtue that consists of the Fruit of the Spirit. Some of those qualities include love, joy, and peace. This makes a difference in the quality of our relationships.

The influence of Jesus will also move us away from sinful entanglements, so that we are set free from selfish ambition and destructive behavior. The resurrection of Jesus means that He is alive and well, and there is power in His name to experience the fullness of life.

Transformation 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 Deuteronomy 32, verses 3 and 4.

Moses said, “I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

Moses was pointing to the praiseworthy attributes of God’s character. He is the Rock. He is the stable foundation for our faith. There is no flaw in what He says or does. He never makes mistakes. He is true to His promises and faithful to His people. We can trust in His unfailing love for us.

Perfect, Just, Faithful, and Upright-these are some of the praiseworthy attributes of God that we can celebrate today.

The praiseworthy attributes of God reveal the Goodness of God and are reasons 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 Second Corinthians 9:11.

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

Thanksgiving can be contagious. It is a way of life that is filled with thanks, and overflows into giving. As we are blessed by God, we have the opportunity to pass along a blessing to our friends, co-workers, family members, and even strangers. One of God’s purposes for our blessings is to share with those in need. As we are faithful to the task, needs are met, the attitude of thanksgiving spreads, and the name of Jesus is honored.

The Generosity of God’s People 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 Isaiah 40, verses 25 and 26.

The Holy One says, “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

The creation of God reveals His unique greatness. He made the universe, He manages the universe, and He rules the universe. David reflected on the heavens in Psalm 19, saying they declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands.

The brilliant stars, the glowing sun, and the silver moon point us to a mighty God who is creative and personal. He has the ability and the zeal to keep track of His creation, including people like you and me.

The Mighty Strength of the LORD 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 First Peter 2, verse 6.

“For in Scripture it says, ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’”

Jesus is this precious stone who becomes the firm foundation of our lives when we put our trust in Him.

We can trust Jesus to forgive us. His purpose for coming into the world was to save us from our sins. When we put our faith in Him, our sins are no longer held against us.

We can trust Jesus to guide us in God’s will. He won’t lead us astray. He said to His first century disciples, “Follow me.” Jesus invites us to walk in His footsteps, to learn His ways, and follow His paths.

We can trust Jesus to bless us with His peace and grace. These are the blessings that we can experience daily by building our lives on the foundation of His Gospel.

The firm foundation of Jesus 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 Matthew 5, verses 10 to 12.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Jesus suffered and died for us, and through the generations, many believers have suffered and died for Jesus. Their righteousness shines as a bright light of faithfulness and devotion to Jesus. Persecution may take on different forms and severity. However, if we are persecuted in any way because of our witness for Jesus, we have words of assurance from Jesus Himself that we are blessed by God and can look forward to a great reward in heaven.

The Blessing of Heavenly Reward 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 Matthew 5:9.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker who came to bring us peace with God. Through faith in His name, we become a child of God, which is the blessed place to be.

When we follow Jesus, we follow the way of our Teacher who trains us to be peacemakers. He calls us to live peaceably with others as far as it depends on us. He moves us to be a voice of reconciliation for other parties in conflict with each other. He also gives us a platform for the Gospel, inviting others to find peace with God.

The Apostle Paul was a voice for peace in his letters to the churches. He wrote in Colossians 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

The blessing of being called a child of God 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 Matthew 5:8.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

When we become a follower of Jesus, we still have room for growing in godly characteristics. God’s grace forgives us of our sins at the moment of conversion. Then, as we walk with Jesus and follow Him, His grace also purifies our motivation to please God.

Love replaces selfishness as our main motive-Love for God and love for people. Fixing our eyes on Jesus helps us with pure motives.

Seeing God is the blessed place to be. As we focus on living for Jesus, our spiritual vision is cleared for doing God’s will until we see Him face to face.

The blessing of seeing God 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 Matthew 5:6.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Having the righteousness of Jesus is the blessed place to be. Just as an appetite for food leads us to seek food to eat, so an appetite for righteousness ultimately leads us to trust in Jesus. Our own righteous acts are like filthy rags to God, but the righteousness of Jesus covers our sin and has great value for motivating our faith into action.

Today, we can take the words of Jesus to heart, receive His gift of grace, and find satisfaction in the flavor of God’s goodness.

The blessing of Christ’s righteousness reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com