Nurturing Spirituality

SylviaBeloved child of God, listen to your Father's heart and his ways for you in Galatians 5:22-23,25. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control... Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

"The LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence." Exodus 33:19

God is perfectly good. He forever linked his goodness, his name, and his presence. He invites you to taste and see that he is good (Ps 35:8, 34:8) and that his name is good (Ps 52:9). What he does is good and what he gives is good because it flows out of who he is (Ps 65:4). Out of his goodness he created you and redeemed you. His enduring goodness showered on you his covenant mercy and forgiveness and compassion. Be blessed as you enjoy the unmerited goodness of God in caring for you (Nahum 1:7).

Because he is good, he is your merciful and forgiving Father who welcomes a prodigal with a hug, a robe, a ring, sandals, a feast, and a party with music and dancing. Because he is good, he wants good things for you. He is giving and generous and enjoys blessing you. He cannot change, his goodness is constant, never wavering or failing (James 3:17). When you receive his goodness, he gives you himself.

He is good when he allows tests to refine you into purest gold, and he is good to display his quick sympathy and his tender heart to you when you fall or fail. He is good as he picks you up and holds you and will not let you go. His faithful goodness continues through all generations.

Celebrate his goodness with thanksgiving (Jer 33:11). Thank him for being good and for loving you with his abounding love that endures forever (Ps 118:1,29). Be specific in thanking him for his goodness in everyday things: a sunset, a beautiful fountain, a child's hug, answered prayers, the kindness of a stranger, a tear of empathy. His goodness is always in evidence, if you are looking, for he is good.

See the reflection of his acts of goodness in the Good Samaritan. His pity on the man who had fallen among thieves was the fruit of goodness and nobility of character. He was touched by the helplessness and the distress of another. He reached out to do something about the consequences of sin that were causing the man to suffer. Be blessed as you, too, bind up the wounds of others, minister to their hurts, and bring them to the house of your good Father for his care.

The angels at the birth of Jesus connected the highest glory of God with his good will to men. They announced God's goodness at the coming of Jesus to earth. Jesus went about doing good, and he imparts many expressions of his goodness into your being. Be blessed with the virtue of the goodness of Jesus worked into your life. Be blessed to feel the zeal of Jesus for goodness and be energized with his kindness and goodness for others. Be blessed with active goodness that does not think to repay evil with evil but considers how to leave a blessing from the goodness of Jesus in you.

Be blessed with the fruit of the goodness of God that the Holy Spirit
produces in you, your empowered response from his goodness (Gal 5:22).

Nurturing Audio & Video

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Reflections to Consider

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Nurturing Publications

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Publications

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Nurturing Music

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Music

  • Jesus be the centre

    Center is a song that speaks of the essence of our life in Christ, and echoes the words the Christ Read More
  • I Lift My Hands

    A powerful hymn of adoration and praise Arkansas Gospel Mass Choir. This succinctly captures the joy of knowing our savior. Read More
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Nurturing Reflection

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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Transforming this World: The Hope of Glory by NT Wright +

    Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows Read More
  • What is Good in a World that Defies Hope: a talk by NT Wright +

    This is the second part of three talks by NT Wright at Harvard University in November, 2008 on the topic Read More
  • The Stream, the Lake and the River: NT Wright +

      Acts 2.1-21; John 7.37-39; a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008, by the Read More
  • Jesus in the Perfect Storm by NT Wright +

    Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • Christ is a Great Savior: a review of the movie Amazing Grace +

    Amazing Grace is a historical drama about William Wilberforce who was elected to British Parliament at the age of 21 Read More
  • Wilberforce, Hollywood's Amazing Grace, Charlotte Allen +

    William Wilberforce's relentless campaign eventually led the British Parliament to ban the slave trade, in 1807, and to pass a Read More
  • Making Beauty out of Ugly Things: Grace by U2 +

    Grace, she takes the blame She covers the shame Removes the stain It could be her name Grace, she carries Read More
  • The True Nature of Grace and Love: a movie review of the Soloist +

    The 2009 movie The Soloist is based on a book by the same name, written by Los Angeles Times columnist Read More
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