Category Archives: Goodness

Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Goodness, Money, Promises, Salvation, Scripture

DOUBLE BLESSING

ZECHARIAH 9:12

“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners who have the hope; this very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.”

Given the chance, I would love to double my money anytime. I would swap $10 for $20 all day long. Wouldn’t you? I have never been given that opportunity though. I have thought of playing the lottery but decided not to. Putting my hopes in a lottery doesn’t make a lot of sense. I will let the Lord double my blessings instead.

I just love this verse today in Zechariah. It reminds me of another book of the Bible. In the book of Job, he is restored double what he had lost AFTER he had gone through the test of suffering. Job 42:10 tells us, “The LORD also restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased double all that Job had.” When you get to heaven, ask Job if his suffering was worth it. I bet I know his answer.

APPLICATION

For us to receive those blessings from God, we must come to Him. Our verse says “return to the stronghold.” What is that? Or better yet, who is that? It is the Lord God Almighty. When we return there, He gives us hope. He promises to bless us abundantly. I recall Jesus saying in John 10:10 “‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.’”

Now when the Lord says we will have life abundantly, He means a lot. Our life in Him will be beyond measure. Am I saying we are going to be rich beyond our wildest dreams? Certainly not! Jesus will bless you in ways which you can’t measure by human terms. You can’t put them in a bank. But you’ll know you have the blessings.

Blessings come from the Father through the Son to us, the same path which our salvation comes. That is the greatest blessing of God – salvation. I would not even call this a double blessing. It is beyond description. Let’s just call it what Jesus did – abundant! Have you received it? If not, make today the day that you receive God’s double blessing He has promised.

My cup surely runneth over. I cannot contain all the blessings from You, O Lord.

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Bible, Commands, Evil, Godliness, Goodness, Hate, Rebuke, Scripture, Truth

THINGS I HATE

ZECHARIAH 8:17

“‘“Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these things are what I hate,” declares the LORD.’”

Hate is a strong word. I know, I know. But there a few things in this world that I hate. I hate searing, hot days when you can’t get any relief. I hate it when my truck breaks down, and I can’t fix it. I hate brussel sprouts and spinach. Yep, I said it. Sorry, moms out there. Most of all, I hate sin.

The Lord listed a couple of things He hates in today’s verse. He says He hates hearts that have devised evil against another, and He hates perjury (telling lies). Of course, the God of truth is going to hate those things. We should hate the same things God hates. If He hates them, they are worthy of hate. The Hebrew word here for “hate” can also mean something that is odious, that stinks.

APPLICATION

In the first part of Amos 5:15 the prophet says, “Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the gate!” That’s good. Then Paul says this in Romans 12:9. “Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.” I think you get the picture. There are some things that it okay to hate. In fact, we are commanded to hate evil.

The problem today is that the world has totally changed the definition of what is evil. That can be confusing if you are not in the Word and spending time with the Lord every day. If you listen to the Social Media influencers, you will definitely be led astray. Most of them applaud the things the Word says is evil.

Let me encourage you today to be a hater. Yep, a hater. Hate those things that pull people away from God. Notice I said things, not people. We need to love everyone because God does. But He hates the sin. So should we. We need to be bold and point out those sins without demeaning the person. You’ve heard it said, “Hate the sin but love the sinner.” Practice that today.

Father, I do hate those things You hate. Help me be bold to point out those things to others.

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Abiding, Attitude, Bible, Choices, Commands, Evil, Goodness, Kindness, Love, Promises, Scripture

DETERMINED FOR GOOD

ZECHARIAH 8:15

“‘“so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!”’”

I have to admit that my heart has not always been determined for good. In my B.C. (Before Christ) days, I was rebellious and only wanted my own way. I would use people to get what I wanted. My heart was prone towards evil. I put on a good outward expression, but my heart was evil. I only did good if it would help me in my own pursuits. That’s a horrible way to live.

I love this little phrase in today’s verse. God says, “I have…determined…to do good.” He purposed. He decided. He planned. His goodness was not an accident. This same verb is used to describe the woman in Proverbs 31:16. “She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.” The word “considers” is the same word used here in Zechariah 8:15. God desires good for us. He is even planning and considering it for us now. That’s awesome.

APPLICATION

Guess what? You can “determine to do good” as well. Through Christ, you can do good for others, even those whom you don’t particularly like to be around. Just follow Christ’s example. He did good to all. He showed now preference. He reached out to the Samaritans, the publicans, the rich, the poor. He showed no prejudice. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:9, “Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.”

Over in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 we see Paul use the same exhortation to the Thessaloniki church. “But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary of doing good.” All through Scripture we are told to do good. We even quote the Golden Rule, don’t we? You know that. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Those words aren’t exactly in Scripture but do refer to the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31.

The bottom line is do good to others. Be like God. Let others see Jesus in you. Share the love of Jesus. Let it permeate you so much that it just “leaks out” on others. If you have someone in your life who does not like you or even hates you, pray for them. Lift them to Jesus. He can handle them a lot better that you can. And when He gives you the opportunity to bless them, do it. Do good, not evil. Be Jesus to someone today.

Give me the chance to do good today, O Lord. I want to be like You.

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Abiding, Bible, Change, Confession, Dependence, God's Will, Goodness, Relationships, Scripture

I HAVE NOT CHANGED

ZECHARIAH 8:14

“‘For this is what the LORD of armies says: “Just as I determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,” says the LORD of armies, “and I have not relented,”’”

Boy, things sure change in life, don’t they? I am in my hometown of Pelham, Ga this week teaching at a Children’s Camp. This camp is at the same location of a former club my parents were members of. We used to fish and water ski out there. But wow! This place has changed so much. New buildings. New pool. New roads on the property. It is so different. I am just glad I haven’t changed that much. Lol

God does not change. One of His attributes is immutability, which means unchanging. God tells the people in Zechariah 8:14 that He has “not relented.” That means He is not sorry for His actions. He would not change them. His actions are true and right. Now, before you feel sorry for the Israelites, God goes on in the next verses and tells them how He is now going to bless them because they have repented. That will change God’s response to us.

APPLICATION

How does this attribute of God affect us? I’m glad you asked. God’s unchangeability (I made that word up) is so key to our theology. Malachi 3:6 says, “‘For I, the LORD, do not change;…” What a promise! Our God does not change. He is not wishy washy. He doesn’t react to us and shift His thinking. He says He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We may change our minds. We may try to adapt our faith to situations. Not God! We can always depend on Him to be the same.

So, we know if we are walking in His promises, He will bless. If we are walking in sin, He will rebuke us. That’s just the facts. We can rely on that. How many people do you know who are always the same? They never change. Not many, if any. I want to live that way. My prayer is this, as found in Hebrews 13:18. “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.” Man, if I could always live that way!

If you are like me, you struggle sometimes to live that way. But it is not up to us. We have a Savior Who is unwavering. He does not change. Amen? That is something to hold on to. You can always come to Him. He will always be there. He is always ready to hear you when you pray. He is there! Call on Him. Lean on Him. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Father, I praise You because You are unchanging. I will turn to You.

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Abuse, Affection, Bible, Blessing, Comfort, Commands, Deceit, Family, Friends, Goodness, Mercy, Scripture

DOING GOOD TO OTHERS

ZECHARIAH 7:10

“‘and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”

When I read this verse today, I thought Who would hurt a widow or orphan? Who would mistreat a stranger or a poor person? However, I am very aware of the evil in this world. The intentions of man are not normally in tune with God’s principles. It’s a dog eat dog world, and some people will take anything from anyone at any time just to get ahead.

The Lord, through Zechariah, continues his instructions to the people. In verse 10 He expands His commands to include how to treat the widow, orphan, stranger and poor. The Hebrew word for “oppress” can be translated as deceive, defraud or violate. In other words, He is saying do not treat these people badly. All through Scripture we read how God cares for these individuals.

APPLICATION

I spent over thirty years caring for the “orphans.” My years in the child welfare field had me involved in residential care, foster care and adoptions. Nothing stirs the heart strings of people like sharing stories about these children. Is there a children’s home near you where you can volunteer? They always need volunteers. You will be blessed.

James 1:27 is one of my favorite verses. “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Our good treatment of these individuals is pleasing to our heavenly Father because they are near to His heart.

Look around you. There are tons of opportunities for you to minister to this population. Widows and widowers need friends they can talk to. Orphans need loving families. The strangers and the poor need a hand up. Just ask the Lord how He could use you. You might just be surprised at His answer.

Open my eyes to people around me who need some love and compassion.

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Abiding, Abundance, Angels, Bible, Encouragement, Fruit, Goodness, Messiah, Prophesy, Scripture

THE BRANCH

ZECHARIAH 3:8

“‘“Now listen, Joshua, you high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a sign: for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch.”’”

I have had a lot of nicknames. I was called Carlie Warlie by my siblings when we were children. My sisters still call me that sometimes. I was called C-dub by a college roommate. My favorite name to be called is Dad. I love that I am a dad to my kids. I am called Poppy now by my grandkids. That is the best one yet.

So, who is “the Branch” in Zechariah’s vision. Many scholars say (and I agree) that this is a reference to the Messiah. We have other prophets use this term. Isaiah 4:2 and 11:1 call Him “the Branch.” Jeremiah uses the same term in 23:5-6 and 33:15. This Branch, the Messiah, is being foretold by the angel who is addressing Zechariah. We know this was fulfilled through Jesus.

APPLICATION

Do you know He has come? Jesus, the Messiah, the Branch, came over 2,000 years ago to fulfill the prophecies of these prophets. More importantly, He came to bring salvation to mankind. A branch reaches out. It lifts up. It bears the fruit. It provides shade from the heat. The Branch is given to us so that we can have all these things.

Have you come up under the Branch? Have you experienced the pleasures of His shade? Jesus wants to bring you so much more than comfort. He wants to bring you life, and life more abundantly. This Branch can never be cut off. It will stand forever. There is no danger of losing its protection, if you will just come up under it and receive what it has to give.

I have seen all kinds of branches. I have seen them from above and below. I have seen them while standing among them. But there is only one true Branch. Jesus is the Branch upon which I rest. He is sturdy and sure. Come to Him now.

Thank You, Lord, for providing the Branch for us.

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Apathy, Bible, Choices, Goodness, Harm, Judgment, Punishment, Scripture

APATHETIC HEARTS

ZEPHANIAH 1:12

“‘And it will come about at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who are stagnant in spirit, who say in their hearts, “The LORD will not do good nor harm!”‘”

Apathy drives me crazy. Really, it does. I had rather have someone disagree with me so we can talk it out than have them do nothing. Those people don’t want to take a side. They don’t believe either side is worth it. So, they sit in the middle. We used to call them “mugwamps.” They sit on the fence post with their mug on one side and their wamp on the other.

The Lord says he will punish such people. He calls them stagnant in spirit. Wow! That’s harsh. They don’t believe the Lord will do good or harm. I know people like that. They have no need for God. They don’t hate Him. They just don’t have any use for Him. They fit right into this category described here in Zephaniah.

APPLICATION

What is your heart saying? I pray you are not like these people in Zephaniah’s day. It is time to choose whom you will serve. It is time to decide in your heart. Stop being stagnant. Trust in the Lord Jesus who does no harm. He only does good. Why? Because He is a good, good God.

We have been reading a lot about God’s judgment on Judah. That can get kind of depressing. But listen, God had much rather bless us than judge us. He had rather love on us than punish us. Because He is a holy God, He cannot let our disobedience go. He has to deal with it. However, lean into His love.

I am so glad I have decided to follow Jesus. The blessings He has bestowed on me have been too numerous to name. Have there been times when I disappointed Him? Unfortunately, yes. But He is right there to welcome me back into His warm embrace. He’ll welcome you, too.

I choose You, Lord. I know You do good to me. Help me do Your good in the lives of others.

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Beauty, Bible, Glory, Goodness, Honor, Majesty, Scripture, Splendor

HIS SPLENDOR

HABAKKUK 3:3

“God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise.”

Splendor! What does that word mean? We don’t use it a lot today. At least, I don’t, but I can think of a few scenes that could be described that way. The splendor of a sunset or sunrise. The splendor of a beautiful garden. The splendor of majestic mountain peaks. Just think of something you could describe that way.

The word used by Habakkuk is hod, which can mean beauty, comeliness, glorious, glory, goodly, honor, majesty. Don’t forget he is describing God here. He says this splendor covers the heavens. In other words, it covers all we see. It’s always there. We just don’t see it sometimes because we are not looking for it. God’s splendor doesn’t hide from us.

APPLICATION

As believers in Christ, God’s splendor is manifested in and through us by the Holy Spirit. The lost world should be able to see God’s splendor in us. Why don’t they? Why don’t we let it burst forth like the heavens? Why don’t we allow God’s splendor to pierce the darkness that surrounds us?

I want to encourage you today to shine, to be splendorous! That may be a new word, lol. But I like the sound of it. Be splendorous. Reflect the beauty, comeliness, gloriousness, goodliness, honor and majesty of God. Let others ask you what is wrong with you. They may be amazed at what is coming out of you.

Our choir is singing our second Christmas program today. It is our prayer that His splendor pours forth from us. We want those watching and listening to experience His splendor this Christmas season. If we are the only Christmas program they get to attend, we want them to leave encouraged in their walk with Christ. Join us today and let the splendor of Christ shine forth.

The splendor of the king, robed in majesty, let all the earth rejoice!

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Bible, Favor, God's Will, Goodness, Praise, Promises, Relationships, Reward, Salvation, Scripture, Truth

TRUTH AND FAVOR 

MICAH 7:20 

“You will give truth to Jacob and favor to Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from the days of old.” 

I like receiving gifts. Don’t you? I mean, come on, who doesn’t? But I really like receiving gifts that include things I need. I am at the age now that I really do not want many things. So, I am hard to buy for. When my family gets me a gift, it is usually something I have specifically told them I could use. 

Look at these two gifts that God gives Jacob and Abraham. The Hebrew word for “truth” can mean steadfastness, faithfulness and truth. The word contains so much more than what we consider truth. Then He gives favor. That Hebrew word is key to God’s covenant relationship with Abraham and the whole nation of Israel. It can also be translated as loving-kindness. 

APPLICATION

Oh, to have God’s truth and favor. Wait a second! I do! When we come to Christ, we receive both of these to their fullest extent. God’s truth is found for us in His word. God’s favor is celebrated through our covenant relationship with Him through Jesus. We receive the same gifts as Jacob and Abraham. 

Now, listen carefully. Both of these gifts are given for a purpose. God does not give us gifts to hoard and keep to ourselves. Oh no. These gifts are given to share. We share God’s truth with people everywhere. We introduce others to the covenant relationship we have in Christ. 

I am not worthy of these gifts from God. Neither are you. But God gives liberally to His children. The very moment you ask Christ into your heart, these gifts arrive. Hallelujah! Who can help but praise Him for these beautiful gifts. 

Thank You, Father, for giving me truth and favor, just like Jacob and Abraham. 

(This is my last blog on Micah. I will start the book of Nahum tomorrow.)  

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Bible, Blessing, Compassion, Covenant, Encouragement, Eternity, Following, God's Will, Goodness, Hope, Remnant, Salvation, Scripture

DEW DROPS

MICAH 5:7

“Then the remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on vegetation that do not wait for man, or delay for mankind.”

I went fishing early in the morning recently. I took my son and granddaughter. Of course, the grass was wet from the dew that had fallen during the night. In fact, it was very wet. My granddaughter is only 4 years old, so the wet grass got her little jeans wet, even though she was wearing rain boots. She didn’t care too much for that (but she loved the fishing).

The remnant of Jacob is compared to the dew that falls from heaven. They shall bring refreshing moisture to a parched land. All hope was gone when the people had been taken into captivity, but the Lord, through Micah, promises a remnant will return. And through that remnant, salvation shall come.

APPLICATION

Isn’t it funny how God orchestrates things? The people of Israel and Judah were taken in and out of captivity during those years of judgment. All the while, God’s plan of salvation was waiting to be implemented. The Law could not give what the people really needed. He had to show them the helplessness of their efforts in the Law.

Through Judah, Christ came as a baby in a manger. The Lion of Judah was born weak as a lamb. But His life on earth came like that remnant to give hope. This hope will last for eternity, unlike the hope from the remnant. This plan for man’s salvation is eternal.

Are you secure in Christ? Do you know Him as your personal Lord and Savior? That is the only way to find the hope you need. I am thankful for the dewdrops from heaven that I receive each morning as I study His Word and pray. They remind me how blessed I am in Jesus.

Father God, thank You for dewdrops that are sent to remind me of Your faithfulness.

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