Mark 10:17-19 New King James Version
Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Jesus’ reply to the rich man here is full of surprises.
First, in response to being called “Good teacher,” Jesus says, “only God is good.”
Was Jesus saying that he is not God?
No, Jesus answered this way because the rich man saw him as just a man—a good man, but still just a man.
As the rich man stood before Jesus, he was also confronted with the fact that he himself was just a man and not as good as he had thought.
Ultimately, only God is good. (And, of course, Jesus himself is good because he too is God, but he is not drawing attention to himself here.)
In our everyday lives, we use the word good to describe all kinds of things.
We say, “Good morning.” We appreciated a good breakfast. Seeing that the weather is good, we go out to work or to play or meet with our good friends.
The Bible, however, mainly uses the word good to refer to what is pure and holy.
The point Jesus is making is that only the perfect and holy God is truly good.
And yet, as we each find forgiveness through Jesus and we are restored to a right relationship with God, we gain the ability to do good and to be good.
All who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ and act for his glory will one day hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (see Matthew 25:21, 23).
Question for Today: How We Know That God Is Good?
Mark 10:17-18 Amplified Bible
The Rich Young Ruler
17 As He was leaving on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher [You who are essentially good and morally perfect], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?” 18 Jesus said to him, “[a]Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone.
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.” Mark 10:18
God is good in so many ways–the way He provides for us, He guides us, and He watches over us–but it goes even deeper than that.
God’s goodness is who he is, and we are created in his image, so, therefore, we share his goodness.
God’s goodness shows up in our lives every single day.
Although we often think of His goodness when something big happens, His goodness abounds all the time–in every hour, minute, and second of the day, in the smallest of things around us – but how do we recognize this goodness?
Here are five examples of God’s goodness in our everyday lives.
1. Waking Us Up
Psalm 5:1-3 New King James Version
A Prayer for Guidance
To the Chief Musician. With [a]flutes. A Psalm of David.
5 Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my [b]meditation.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
Every day that God wakes us up is an example of his goodness.
This means we are still working towards the purpose and gifts He has given us.
It shows us that He isn’t finished with us yet and that we still have a mission to fulfill.
We shall not grumble and complain about getting out of bed and going to work.
We should be happy that we are still breathing and living for him.
Many are worse off than us who need to see our light shining in the world every day.
2. Pouring His Favor on Us
Psalm 5:11-12 New King James Version
11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You [a]defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
On the days when we are surrounded by the smallest and most significant of blessings, we know that God is pouring his favor on us.
This can be anything from your coworker bringing you your favorite coffee to your boss calling you in their office to discuss a project or raise or promotion.
We need to pay attention to all the little things in our day, both big and small, that are a blessing to us. A lot of times, it’s the little things that mean so much.
3. Protecting Us
Psalm 121 English Standard Version
My Help Comes from the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
121 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Every continent on earth has mountains.
Some are cold, rugged, and difficult to climb. Others are favorite vacation spots.
Still others are sources of water, timber, and other natural resources.
Those who live within view of a mountain range are reminded daily of God’s greatness and our smallness.
Psalm 121 asks us to consider that same contrast.
Setting out for their trip to Jerusalem for a festival, pilgrims often sang this song to remind each other of the dangers of the journey ahead and of the assurances of God’s protection.
God is greater than any so-called god of the hills or mountains—the Lord God is earth’s Creator.
God is more powerful than any force of the sun or moon—the Lord created them too.
The false gods of other nations might have had to take vacations, but not the Lord God Almighty, who never slumbers or sleeps.
When we set off on a journey—whether it is a trip of hundreds of miles or only a few steps—we can remind ourselves, as those pilgrims did, we travel with God.
We need not fear the dangers of the road or threats from others; every step of our way is seen by God, who watches over us.
Our God, the Creator of earth’s highest mountains and deepest valleys—and everything in between—is also the protector of our small lives.
4. Speaking to Us through Prayer
Psalm 66:16-20 English Standard Version
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on[a] my tongue.[b]
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
Prayer is our most powerful connection to God.
It is how we express our thanks and gratitude, make our petitions known, and intercede for others.
Sometimes we get an answer of “yes,” sometimes, “no” and sometimes, “wait.”
Sometimes, He gives us specific instructions and, sometimes, He is silent.
Other times, He speaks to us and provides us with an answer in the most surprising of ways.
No matter what, He always answers, and we need to look for those answers every day.
In issues big and small, He will often nudge our hearts and draw our attention in the right direction.
5. Guiding Us
Psalm 31:1-4 English Standard Version
Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
31 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
We make a thousand little decisions a day, everything from deciding whether we will do our tasks well or whether or not to take on a ministry or a mission.
Sometimes, in our decision making we have to slow down, determine whether an opportunity is right or wrong for us and if we should follow a particular path.
In these moments, God is guiding us.
We need to stop, take a breath and pay attention.
How do we feel in our hearts?
How do we feel in our gut?
We need to be still and listen to that small voice we know so well.
Listen to him whispering to our hearts about what choices are right for us.
Pay attention to the signs He sends us.
This is his way of guiding us and nudging us to our best selves, so that we may live in the gifts and graces we have been given and the purpose He has for us.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 English Standard Version
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
forever.[g]
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 