3 Ways to See How God Is Good to YOU
We can’t share about God’s goodness if we don’t see it.
Do you know how God has been good to YOU? Personally?
On any given day, we can see bad things happen around us. We wonder why obstacles aren’t removed or sicknesses aren’t healed.
When we don’t understand what is happening, we can be quick to see only the bad things.
But what if instead of seeing only the bad in our pain, we also look for the good in God’s grace?
Oh, Say Can You See?
It’s happened again. I need to read my daughter’s text to me. But I can’t find my glasses.
I can’t see fine print anymore without my glasses. And I can’t always find my glasses.
I realize people often need reading glasses when they’re older. Yet I didn’t think it would happen to me.
But of course it happened to me.
How often have I misplaced my glasses when I need to read instructions for a recipe? Or when I want to look at a picture someone is showing me on their phone? Or when I’m reading a book to my grandkids?
When I’m not intentional about keeping my glasses with me, I miss out on seeing good things.
Maybe that’s what David was talking about in Psalm 145. Not about reading glasses, per se. (How did they manage without glasses back in the day?)
But about vision.
“The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”
Psalm 145:9-12
Put simply, David was saying this:
- Be intentional.
- Look closer.
- Pay attention to the good things that God is doing in your life.
3 Ways to Discover God’s Goodness to You
1. ATTRIBUTE GOOD THINGS TO GOD
When David saw good things happen, he attributed them to his good God. He knew God was full of mercy and grace and love. He knew to look for God’s goodness in creation and all around.
Be specific. When you see good things happen, explainable or mysterious, you, too, can give thanks to God for them.
Perhaps God worked through a person or science or nature to make the good thing happen. It doesn’t matter.
All goodness still originates with God.
Thank him for it.
2. FIND IT TO SHARE IT
I’m glad David shared his words about God’s goodness with those around him, and consequently down to us. We still praise God through many of these same words, thousands of years later.
Sometimes we can miss the hand of God in our busyness. But if we intentionally want to share about God with others, we’ll intentionally look for good things. When we do, we’ll find his sweet fingerprints all over our lives and in the lives of others.
Don’t keep God’s goodness to yourself. Let others know when you see him at work in your life and in their lives.
Grace multiplies when we see it and share it.
3. DOCUMENT TO REMEMBER
Another way to see God’s goodness to you is to keep a record of it. By looking at what he’s done in the past, you can relive it in your memory in the present.
Keep track. David wrote poetry and songs to document the good things he saw God do. You might not write poetry or compose music, but you can set up similar signposts to remember God’s goodness in your life.
Write it down. Make an altar. Take a photo. Practice remembering your own stories with God. God wasn’t only good to those in Bible times; he is good to each of us in this very day.
God is as alive and present now as he ever has been.
Focus on His Goodness
I did eventually find my missing reading glasses. They were on the kitchen counter where I’d last used them. I’ve since learned to stock up on reading glasses from the dollar store. I keep a pair tucked away in several spots around the house.
Likewise, we can keep our goodness glasses handy, too. When we’re having a bad day or need to encourage a friend or just simply want to praise God, put them on.
When we look closer for the good things that God is doing:
- We’ll begin seeing more and more good things.
- We’ll have more peace about the future.
- And we’ll discover our faith is growing deeper and stronger.
By keeping good theology plainly in sight—that the Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all—we will find it easier to give thanks to the Lord and bless his name.
Focus today.
Open your eyes to God’s goodness all around you. It’s there. It’s glorious.
And it’s personal.
How has God been good to YOU lately? Share in the comments.
revised from the archives
I wear my eyeglasses all the time, but am not nearly so diligent about putting on those goodness glasses. I keep thinking it’s time to resurrect my gratitude journal again.
Yes, Michelle, I was just thinking of a gratitude journal. Actually, years ago, when all I could concentrate on were the injustice of hard times I was experiencing or even just the more trivial negatives like “I wanted a new kitchen floor because the tiles were peeling off,” God finally convicted me of grumbling. The antidote? Keep a joy journal. It was more than a simple gratitude list, but journal entries of appreciation for the good things in my life–the truly many, many blessings that I’d taken for granted–and praise and thanksgiving to the good God who had given them (undeserved by me). It changed my life. Lisa, also, thank you for calling our attention to God’s goodness and tangible ways to realize it! You and your readers remain such a blessing and “good thing” in my life!
xo
Lynn
We all need to sharpen our focus when it comes to God, Lisa, seeing His goodness and mercy all around us. Great analogy about the misplaced reading glasses, too. It is inevitable as we age, and like you, I have several pairs I can go to around the house.
Blessings!
What a good analogy–needing glasses to see physically, and needing the right perspective to see spiritually. God has surrounded us with goodness that we too often miss.
God has been good to me by allowing me to spend so much time with family this summer. It’s what I needed, and I love that I can invest in important relationships over the summer. I have trifocals, so I just wear them all the time ;).
Goodness glasses. Hm. Sounds like a worthy Rx.
A regular journal questioned I had was “What miracles did you see today?” A miracle could be a simple as the water flowing from a tap within your house! Love the idea of putting on your ‘goodness glasses!’ Another saying I used was ‘change your glasses’ to intentionally see from another perspective.
there’s always something to be grateful for.
always.
the older i get, the more i appreciate the miracles big and small …
We should be grateful for each and every minute god has given us. Thanks for sharing.
I love the image of putting on the goodness glasses! I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for about four years now and it’s been really helpful in keeping me focussed on the good. Just now I’m grateful for all the little bits of “normal” that are gradually returning.
Lovely piece, Lisa. I enjoy focusing on God’s goodness…really looking for it in an intentional way. Because it always originates with Him as you noted. And recording it to remember is a great way to look back and see God’s goodness in the chapters of our lives.
This was such a good post, Lisa. God’s goodness is present everyday but it takes being intentional to see it otherwise the negativity will consume us.
I love the intentionality of “wearing my glasses” so I don’t miss a bit of God’s goodness!