Expect The Goodness : Bishop Tony Samuels

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. - Psalms 27:13 

As we look at the world and the direction it is going, it’s possible to begin to expect negativity. Despite what is going in the world, we have a God Who has an abundance of Goodness stored up for us. Psalms 31:19 says, How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You, which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of man! Notice, it said it is goodness that is stored up and prepared for us. The Lord always prepares the solution before the problem shows up. David understood this; that’s why he wrote about it, and why he was expecting it to show up in his life. 

Expecting goodness means you are in a not-so-good situation, and you are looking for a change, a shift from God. All over the Bible, it teaches us how to live like this. Don’t grow weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap if you faint not. Don’t give up before the Goodness shows up. Especially in these times, the Lord wants our lives to be a contradiction to what is happening in the world. He wants us to experience days of heaven on earth, and that contradiction will draw the nations to Him. 

Look at Isaiah 60:1-3:  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Right in the midst of darkness, God wants to use our lives to display His goodness, and it will attract those that are in the darkness. As it gets darker in the world, it should get brighter and brighter in the Church of Jesus Christ. We become God’s billboard to say, “Come to the place of Glory!” 

So how do we tap in to this Goodness? We must simply believe. When Jesus was at the tomb of Lazarus and the people thought it was over, Jesus said this to Martha in John 11:40: Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” When you believe for His Glory, that means you are not settling for anything less than what God said, and what God desires for your life. You would look the enemy right in his face and say, “You are a liar; I will see the Goodness of God in my life! You are not going to turn my life into a funeral; I’m about to have a celebration!” 

Jesus allowed it to get to the worst possible condition before He showed up, so He would get maximum Glory out of the situation. When He shows up, everything changes. So what’s going on in your life right now that doesn’t look so good? You are a candidate for His Goodness, so believe it…receive it…and now expect it! Rejoice!!!!