John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Matthew 5:5.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

The idea of meekness has to do with strength through restraint. Jesus was the perfect example of this. He had 72,000 angels at his disposal. He could have called on them to rescue Him from the cross, but He did not do that, because Jesus had the big picture in view. He knew that without the shedding of His blood on that old wooden cross, there would be no Savior. Jesus invites us to follow in His footsteps of meekness as a bright light to shine the grace of God.

Meekness is the blessed place to be in the eyes of God. Psalm 37:11 points out that the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.

The blessing of Inheritance 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 5:4.

Jesus said, ,“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

The comfort of Christ is the blessed place to be.

The grace of God is a comfort to the person who is wounded by grief or pain or heartache. Jesus felt anguish in the Garden before He was crucified. He knows what it is like to experience emotional stress. Jesus wept by the gravesite of Lazarus. He also wept over Jerusalem. He can sympathize with us in moments of sadness. That is a present reality.

The comfort of Christ also has an eternal blessing for His followers. In the New Heaven and the New Earth, Revelation 21:4 pictures God dwelling with His people. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” So, in the picture of eternity, God’s comfort will be our source of healing.

The blessing of Christ’s comfort 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 5:3.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

To be poor in spirit is to recognize that we are spiritually bankrupt without the grace of Jesus Christ. It is a humble place to be. It is the blessed place to be. To be poor in spirit is to be rich in faith, because we believe in the worthiness of Jesus to save us from our sin. We depend on the reliability of His love.

Poverty in spirit leads us to possess God’s Heavenly kingdom in the realm of eternity. This inheritance will not perish, spoil, or fade. It is our real and lasting hope.

The blessing of the Heavenly Kingdom 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 John 8:12.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus is the source of light to give us hope and direction. When we put our faith in His love, we are given spiritual light to understand God’s purpose for life, and to walk in the light of His love. He shows us the way forward in the path of His righteousness. He gives us opportunities to shine His light in our relationships.

Jesus instructed His followers to let our light shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.

Light 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 John 7, verses 37 to 39a.

On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us. His influence on the believer’s life is strong, reminding us of the words of Jesus, guiding us into the truth, and building godly character. He is the power source of our witness for Jesus as we share the reason for our hope. The Holy Spirit helps us to live out the Christian faith in productive ways.

Jesus said to His followers in John 14:15, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-the Spirit of truth.”

The Holy Spirit 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 Acts 3:24 and 25.

Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’

Peter spoke this message to draw attention to the relevance of prophecies in the Old Testament pointing to Jesus.

Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the prophets were declaring that the Messiah would come. He would be the Savior for our sin. He would be the blessing to undo the curse. The prophets were inspired by the Holy Spirit to accurately predict the coming of Jesus and His mission.

Second Peter 1:19 says, “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

The Prophets of the Old Testament 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 Revelation 19:6 and 7a.

The Apostle John heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting, “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!”

Hallelujah is a term that means “Praise the Lord.” It appears four times in the Bible, and all those appearances are in Revelation chapter 19. This is the shout of praise among the inhabitants of heaven. It is an expression of victory and celebration. Hallelujah is an acknowledgment that salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

The Hallelujahs of Heaven 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 Revelation 22: 3 to 5.

This passage describes what heaven is like for God’s people:

“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”

This is a picture of healing. Sin’s curse will be removed from the human experience. No longer will death grieve God’s people. No longer will there be pain or sickness or crying. God is making everything new for those who love Him. Heaven will be a place of joyful praise and perfect peace in the presence of God. It will be a place that is full of life, sustained by God’s grace. It will be a place that sparkles with beauty.

Heaven 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 John 10:14 and 15.

Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

When Jesus was identifying Himself as the Good Shepherd, He was saying that we can trust Him as our Leader, Savior, and Friend.

Jesus leads us in the context of a relationship. We are not a mere number to Him. He knows us by name. He holds His followers close to His heart.

Jesus leads with wisdom. His word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. He provides Divine Guidance for our faith.

Jesus also leads us with service and sacrifice. He took our place on the cross 2,000 years ago and paid the price for our sins so that we could experience God’s forgiveness.

The Leadership 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 Galatians 5:22 and 23.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

These are the qualities that develop in our character when we abide in Jesus and keep in step with the Spirit of God.

As we grow in these qualities, the Bible tells us that they will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our relationship with Christ.

As we grow in these qualities, we can see God at work in a thriving faith that reflects the light of Jesus.

As we grow in these qualities, we still have room for growth, but by God’s grace, we are not the person we used to be. The fruit of the Spirit shows the evidence that we belong to Jesus and His grace is the source of our strength.

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

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com