I looked it up [well actually I googled it].........46 individual definitions! There is more to 'good' than meets the eye!
But as I read through all these definitions I am thinking again of the 5 W's [Who, What, When, Where, Why, and their cousin.... How]
Who would God want to give 'good' gifts to?
What form should I look for to identify a 'good' thing?
When can God change rotten circumstances into 'good'?
Where should I go or be or do to be good....enough?
Why can what appears to be a terrible thing be for my good?
How can an uncomfortable thing be 'good'
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Do you remember the Riddle song?
The Riddle Song
I gave my love a cherry
That had no stone
I gave my love a chicken
That had no bone
I told my love a story
That had no end
I gave my love a baby
With no crying.
How can there be a cherry
That has no stone?
And how can there be a chicken
That has no bone?
And how can there be a story
That has no end?
And how can there be a baby
With no crying?
A cherry when it's blooming
It has no stone
A chicken when it's piping
It has no bone
The story that I love you
It has no end
A baby when it's sleeping
It's no crying.
It has no stone
A chicken when it's piping
It has no bone
The story that I love you
It has no end
A baby when it's sleeping
It's no crying.
I think the simple praise that I can learn about the word good comes sort of like this song.
Who would God want to give 'good' gifts to?
To me just because He loves me and He doesn't think like me.....He doesn't desire me to self destruct he desires that I learn and grow....that requires a bit of weeding and bud nipping and some stinky fertilized under my flower bed. And he is willing to do that for me.
What form should I look for to identify a 'good' thing?
Look for no certain form...He can use anything and any place and any person and ANY opportunity to get my attention and teach me something that is good for me to know. My definition of good is too limited......I am trying to get a handle on GOD'S definition.
When can God change rotten circumstances into 'good'?
As soon as I stop deciding that what I know is the only answer. As soon as I begin to open my ears and mind and heart to see what might be a lesson here for me? As soon as I am grateful and thankful and offer praise to God for who He is in the midst of the situation. He will then begin to teach and with teaching comes learning and with learning....... s.l.o.w.l.y. comes a new perspective.
Where should I go or be or do to be good....enough?
God meets me where I already am and as soon as I allow Him to turn my thinking and then discipline my mouth not to say [whatever is not true, whatever is not lovely , whatever is not of good report] but to speak of the praise of the Lord [From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same the name of the Lord is to be praised...where was the spot for complaining? [hint...t'aint there]]
Why can what appears to be a terrible thing be for my good?
When I realize that I only see a very small section of the continuum of time and God can see the whole scope of things I begin to learn that what is happening today is only part of the plan....there is more......and more yet to learn.
How can an uncomfortable thing be 'good'
Because I am so finite...I actually think I know best! But just as any grown-up can tell you what is going to happen when a child has definite ideas of their own and there comes a time when they demand to find out the consequences of whatever poor choice they are about to make, we can prevent the situation or we can allow the child to learn from the consequences of their actions or their thinking or limited reasoning power. We can see the big picture and we can also see that they can not!
So just like in the riddle song, when I do not understand there is likely an answer, a different perspective , one I had not considered, in my Father's hand. Often I can not see it ....yet....but that does not make it not there. And I have lots and lots to do learning to direct the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart to be acceptable in His sight. When all is said and done it might just make a pretty song....but I am going to have to trust Him that good is not necessarily what I thought it was. that good has 46 meaning just to the human mind and God's mind is very much bigger.
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