“I would have lost heart had I not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Ps. 27:13
Early one morning, a young woman squealed with glee as two lines appeared on the pregnancy test. She shouted to her sleepy husband, “Wake Up! We’re expecting!” From that moment on, everything changed. Priorities.
Schedules. Appetites. Home decor. A complete mindset shifted simply because they were expecting. Expecting the goodness of God is similar to that. People who expect His goodness have a mindset which eventually changes everything. It doesn’t come naturally. It comes supernaturally, but here are a few tips to develop this significant mindset.
Refute Murphy’s Law
Some people seem to live by Murphy’s Law more than by the Word of God. Murphy’s law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” As humorous as that might sound, you need to compare that mindset with the written Word of God. Here are three scriptures that refute Murphy’s Law:
- The path of the just shines brighter… Prv. 4:18
- Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me… Ps. 23:6
- He crowns the year with goodness. Your paths drip with abundance. Ps 65:11.
Keep Hope Alive
I read of some tourists who were staying on the ninth floor of a luxury hotel in Oklahoma. True to its “tornado alley” reputation, a voice on the hotel’s intercom announced, “Tornado activity is in the area. All guests above Floor 3 need to seek shelter immediately in the lobby.” Guests scrambled down the stairs where they were then led by a security officer into a basement. Upon reaching the basement, there were too many people, so they were guided even deeper into an underground tunnel of some kind. Down, down, down. Their ninth floor suite turned into a tunnel below the ground.
Emotions can be that way. Disappointment turns into disillusionment which turns into despair. Deeper and deeper you travel down an emotional hole of hopelessness. If that’s where you are today, our scripture from Psalm 27:13 can bring you peace. Expecting God’s goodness releases hope.
What Are You Expecting?
Have you read Psalms 68:19 lately? It says, “Blessed be God who daily loads us with benefits.” In the early nineties, Tommy was preaching from that text and said, “Why, God has so many blessings with your name on it that He’s gonna need an eighteen-wheeler just to get it to you.” I sensed that to be a prophetic challenge and claimed it for the new camp we were building. Within two years, we had four eighteen-wheelers bring us unscheduled surprises; one was filled with $50,000 worth of candy!
Some Of His Goodness Is Invisible
When God blesses people with visible goodness, such as a promotion at work or physical healing, they are quick to say, “God is good.” But may I remind you that when you don’t get that promotion or your healing hasn’t yet arrived, God is still good. During adversity, you’ll need to look for His invisible goodness. Perhaps it is the courage to endure another medical procedure or hope to be a good employee at a job you don’t enjoy. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
You can expect the goodness of God in every area of your life, not because you are so good, but because He is so good. You won’t need to look for two straight lines, either. You can look into God’s Word and say, “I’m expecting!” Yes, I’m expecting the goodness of God.
*For the complete story, read Miracle Moments, Ch. 6
