How to Revel in God's Goodness

September 10, 2019 | Jaci Miller

Skittles. Most of us eat them in one quick bite. A toss in the mouth and done. But in my class of two-year-old preschoolers, one little girl, M., savored them.

Learning to potty train and receiving a treat for each success, M. made a feast of her single candy. She consumed the tiny disc in five or six nibbles, smearing the green color all around her mouth in the process. No amount of coaxing or convincing could push her to consume that Skittle any faster.

I reveled in the goodness of that treat. I wondered how much greater is God’s goodness than candy. I realized I need to revel in the goodness of God like that and I considered how that might look.

How to Revel in the Goodness of God:

Pause. Stop and notice your surroundings. The Grand Canyon is gorgeous, but what exists around us daily still possesses the power to amaze us. How about the blade of grass pushing out seeds in that overlooked corner of your yard? How does it do that? Count the legs on a beetle and note how they scuttle perfectly in tandem. Notice the sweetness of your child or grandchild’s pinkie fingers. God took Abram outside to look at the stars to reveal truth to him (Genesis 15:5). Pause and look for the goodness God planted all around you. 

Praise. Once you’ve noticed the perfectly shaped bubble sacs in an orange segment, don’t let the wonder end there. Thank God for what you’ve experienced. Psalm 31:1 tells us to, “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.” Journal about it. Ask Him to show you more of His good gifts. Find a Psalm that expresses your feelings and read it aloud. Sing God a song of your own making, even if it doesn’t rhyme!

Peruse. Just as God gave the Hebrews the Passover meal (Exodus 12), He has given us ways to remember His goodness. Dig through memories. Look through old photographs. Many of the moments you find will remind you of good times that are gifts from a good God. Flip through journals, letters and memorabilia for those nuggets of God’s goodness. Dwell on answered prayers and times when God has been faithful.

Pass Along. After you’ve inhaled the headiness of lilacs or lavender, cut a clipping and offer it to someone else. Tell them, “I noticed today, just how marvelously God made this plant. I wanted to share it with you.” Let someone know how God has used them in your life to show God’s goodness. Demonstrate God’s goodness to a stranger. 2 Corinthians 2:14 tells us that God uses us to spread the knowledge of Him everywhere. How does God want to use you to declare His goodness to the world?

Pursue. Sometimes God’s goodness feels remote. You ask, “Why, if God is so good, is this happening?” Joseph, in Genesis, suffered under his brothers’ hands, then Potiphar’s. Still he chose God. In life, if finances fail, if you lose a child, if the corners of creation seem to hold only pain, cling to the belief that God is still good. Pray, “Lord, help me see it!” David, who also suffered, tells us in Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” When you reach the point where you can’t pursue Him, let His goodness pursue you.

How then can a Skittle compare to the goodness of God? His goodness far surpasses the whole candy aisle! No more dainty sampling. Like M., I want to revel. I want to live with goodness smeared all over my face and dripping down my chin, delving into the sweetness of God.

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