Goodness constitutes the central theme of our discussion today, wherein we delve into its significance as the very essence of God's nature. Throughout our exploration, we will uncover how goodness transcends mere moral expectations, revealing itself as a creative force that not only brings forth beauty but also fosters healing and restoration in our lives and communities. We reflect on the biblical understanding of goodness, as illustrated in Genesis, and consider how it is divinely bestowed upon us through the Holy Spirit. This episode invites us to recognize that true goodness is a gift, rooted in our relationship with God, rather than a product of our own efforts.

Takeaways:

1. The content shared on Living the Selah Life is intended for spiritual encouragement and personal reflection.
2. Goodness is an essential quality of God's nature that He desires to reproduce in us.
3. Divine goodness is a gift that flows from God, transforming our motivations and actions.
4. Human goodness often stems from our own efforts, while divine goodness comes from a connection with God.
5. The Holy Spirit produces goodness in us, allowing us to express love and serve others effectively.
6. Goodness manifests in both extraordinary and ordinary ways, shaping our interactions and relationships.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. Living the Selah Life
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The content shared on Living the Selah Life is for spiritual encouragement, personal reflection and informational purposes only.

It is not intended to diagnose, treat or replace medical, psychological or professional advice of any kind.

Please consult a licensed healthcare provider or qualified professional for any physical, mental or emotional health concerns.

The views expressed are those of the host, Kimberly Lockanore, and are based on personal experience and Biblical insight, not clinical training.

Welcome back to Living the Selah Life, a podcast that invites you to slow down, to breathe and to reconnect with the presence of God.

I am your host, Kim, and this space is for anyone longing to become more familiar with his presence.

Each episode is an intentional pause, a moment to reflect, realign and remember that God meets us when we create space for Him.

So take a breath.

You are right on time.

Let's live the Selah life together.

Hey there friends.

Welcome back self.

So in our last episode we talked about gentleness and today we are going to talk about goodness.

Goodness is the very essence of who God is.

It is the creative force that spoke the universe into existence and the life giving power that the Holy Spirit wants to release through us.

So let's get into it.

So our main teaching for today, I am going to call it Goodness, the creative force of Heaven.

And it's because of the foundation that we will come from.

To understand the goodness that the Holy Spirit produces in us, we must go way back to the very beginning.

In Genesis chapter one.

After each day of creation, God looked at what he had made and declared that it was good.

The Hebrew word used there is tov T o V. When God saw the light that he created, he called it Tov.

When he separated the waters and formed the dry land, he called that Tov.

And when he created the plants, the animals, the fish, and all of humanity, he called it all Tov.

So this word encompasses much more than just the moral goodness that we think of when we think of the word good or goodness.

It means excellent, beautiful, beneficial, pleasant, joyful and life giving.

Come on y'.

All.

All of these things.

All the things.

When God declared creation tov, he was declaring it excellent, perfectly suited for his purposes, beautiful beyond measure and designed to flourish and bring joy.

So the very first characteristic that God reveals about Himself to us in His Word is His goodness.

Everything that flows from God carries this quality of of goodness.

His thoughts toward us, his plans toward us, his desires for our lives.

God is goodness itself.

When the Holy Spirit produces goodness in us, he allows us to participate in the same creative life giving force that spoke the universe into existence.

We become carriers of God's tove nature, a people through whom his goodness flows to bless, to restore and to create beauty in this world that we live in.

So human goodness often comes from following a lot of rules, meeting standards, or comparing ourselves favorably to others.

We feel good about ourselves when we measure up or perform well.

Human goodness can become self righteousness, quiet as kept judgmental or earned through effort.

Divine goodness flows from God's nature and is given as a gift.

It comes through connection with the source of all goodness.

Divine goodness asks, how can God's goodness flow through me?

And this shift in perspective changes the way that we think.

Instead of trying to manufacture goodness through our own efforts, our religious efforts, I hate to say it, but through our own religious efforts, we position ourselves to release and receive the goodness that freely comes from God that He gives to us for free.

So divine goodness is also more comprehensive than human morality.

Human goodness can focus on avoiding bad things or following rules.

Like I said earlier, while divine goodness is creative and generative, it seeks to bless, to heal, to restore and to create beauty.

It looks for ways to make things better, to bring life where there has been death and to speak hope where there has been despair.

The Holy Spirit connects us to the source of all goodness.

The Holy Spirit dwelling within us gives us access to this divine goodness.

The Spirit changes our motivations for doing good.

Human goodness can flow from selfish motives.

The Holy Spirit produces goodness that flows from love for God and others, from gratitude for what we have received.

Again, just like that gentleness, just like that love, and from a genuine desire to bless and serve.

The Spirit gives us God's heart for people and situations.

And this was a prayer for me to God for a long time.

Not created me a clean heart, no God, I'm going to need yours.

But the Holy.

But he'll give you that if you ask him.

When we are filled with the Spirit, we begin to see people and circumstances the way God sees them.

We notice needs that others miss.

And we feel compassion for suffering that can sometimes go ignored.

Biblical goodness is both gentle and fierce.

Though when we think of goodness, most times we think of it as this sweet, mild, mannered thing.

But while God's goodness is indeed gentle and tender, it is also fierce in its opposition to evil and its commitment to justice and restoration.

God's goodness is fierce in protecting the vulnerable.

All throughout Scripture we can see God's goodness expressed in his defense of the poor, the oppressed, the widow and the orphan.

His goodness fights for what is right and works to restore what has been broken.

So as long as you're not on the other side of that fight, things should go well.

Jesus demonstrated this goodness as well.

He was gentle with the broken and hurting yet again.

He was fierce with those religious leaders who burdened people with impossible standards.

The Holy Spirit produces this same goodness in us.

Sometimes goodness can look like a gentle comfort for someone who is hurting, or it can look bull bold, like a bold confrontation of systems that harm people.

It can be someone that's in quiet service behind the scenes.

And sometimes it's public advocacy for those who have no voice.

God's goodness is also inherently creative.

The same goodness that declared creation to continues to create beauty and bring life from death.

When the Holy Spirit produces goodness in us, he makes us participants in God's ongoing creative and restorative work in the world.

This goodness sees potential where others see problems.

Goodness creates beauty in unexpected places.

People filled with God's goodness become agents of change in their community, in their workplaces, in their families.

They are the ones that are often called upon to bring order and to bring beautifulness to ugliness and life from death.

And just like all of the other fruits that we've talked about thus far, goodness is another one of those things that it is really hard to give until you've received it.

A lot of people are trying to give goodness that they have not fully received.

And I'm going to say this with all the fruit, because the only way they really, really become real and the Holy Spirit is able to flow through you with them is once you've received them.

So most of us, we know that we should be kind and generous, helpful, moral.

And so we try to work to produce these qualities on our own.

We must first receive God's goodness towards us before we can express it to others.

And this begins with understanding how good God has been to us.

Receiving God's goodness also means accepting his assessment of us.

God loves us and he calls us good because his goodness dwells in us.

Our goodness flows from his love for us.

So when we truly receive this, it frees us from the fruitless task of trying to earn his approval through good behavior.

It enables us to express goodness from gratitude rather than from obligation.

So when the Holy Spirit produces goodness in us, it manifests in both extraordinary and ordinary ways.

So let's talk about extraordinary expressions.

These can be supernatural provisions for others in need, miraculous healing and restoration, divine wisdom for impossible situations, and the ability to love and forgive beyond human capacity in ordinary expressions.

It's consistent kindness in daily interactions, generosity with time, resources, faithfulness and small responsibilities, gentle words that heal and encourage, practical help for struggling neighbors, things like that and the creation of beauty in our homes and communities in relationships.

Divine goodness creates safe spaces where people can be themselves.

It offers hope to people that are discouraged, provides practical help without strings attached, speaks truth with love and grace, and extends forgiveness in work and service.

Goodness shows up as excellent work done with integrity, leadership that serves, business practices that bless, and creativity that adds beauty and value to the world.

The key characteristic of spirit produced goodness is that it flows naturally from a heart connected to God rather than being forced through religious obligation.

So let's move on to this week's Scripture Spotlight.

It comes from Psalms chapter 23, verses 6, and it reads surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of of the Lord forever.

Amen.

So this verse reveals the certainty of goodness.

David begins with surely, and this is a confident declaration based on the character of God.

David has experienced God's goodness enough to know that it is reliable, consistent, and sure.

Goodness as an active Pursuit So the word follow in Hebrew is radav, which means to pursue, chase, or hunt down.

That is something y'.

All.

So David is saying that God's goodness actively pursues us with intensity, that it aggressively seeks opportunities to bless us.

The scope of goodness all the days of my life.

That means every single day.

Good days and bad days, easy seasons and difficult seasons.

God's goodness pursues us especially in difficult moments.

And this scripture passage speaks of the eternal nature of goodness forever reminds us that God's goodness is as eternal as his nature.

It does not run out.

It doesn't get exhausted or change based on circumstances.

This verse shows us that God's goodness is both a present reality pursuing us daily, and an internal promise securing our future.

Amen.

So let's move to this week's Pause prompts and pause prompts are just statements that allow us to reflect inwardly to see where we are so that we can know where we're going.

Pause Prompt Number one When you think about goodness, do you typically focus on your efforts to be good or on God's goodness toward you?

Think about the people closest to you.

How could God's goodness flow through you to encourage or serve them in practical ways?

Are there any areas in your life where you have been trying to create goodness through willpower rather than receiving it from the Holy Spirit.

If you truly believe that the Creator of the universe calls you good because of his goodness in you, how might that change how you see yourself?

Remember, goodness is both who God is and what he wants to reproduce in us by His Spirit.

So let's move on to this week's Selah moment in prayer.

This is our opportunity to personally receive God's goodness and ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with his toe of nature.

So you can begin by sitting comfortably and taking several deep breaths with each inhale.

Invite the God of all goodness to fill you with his nature.

Take a few moments to remember specific ways God has shown his goodness to you.

We all have them.

And think about his provision, his protection, his guidance, his forgiveness, his blessings.

Let yourself truly taste and see that the Lord is good.

Hear the Holy Spirit whisper God's heart over you.

You are good because I am good and my goodness dwells in you.

My goodness is a gift I freely give because I love you.

Let us pray.

Father, you are good and your goodness fills all creation.

Thank you for declaring us TOV because of your nature dwelling within us.

Thank you that your goodness pursues us with relentless love, seeking every opportunity to bless and restore Holy Spirit.

Fill us with the goodness that flows from the Father's heart.

Help us understand that true goodness is something we receive.

Free us from every attempt to be good through our own effort and teach us to to live from the goodness you have freely given.

Open our eyes to see your goodness in our daily lives.

Help us Lord, to taste and see that you are good in the ordinary details.

Let every experience of your goodness increase our capacity to trust you and share your goodness with others.

Make us people who carry your toe of nature into every situation we encounter.

Use us to create beauty where there has been ugliness and to speak hope where there was none, to bring healing where there is brokenness.

Give us the courage to express fierce goodness when necessary, to stand against injustice, to protect the vulnerable, to fight for what is right.

Thank you that your goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives.

Help us live with confidence in your pursuing goodness and generous hearts that share your goodness with everyone we meet.

It is in Jesus name that we pray and it is so.

Well my friends, thank you for listening to Living the Selah life.

If this moment stirred something in your spirit, share it with someone who needs to be reminded to pause and to listen.

You can connect with me on Instagram, my Facebook group or YouTube at Living the Selah Life.

Or email me your story, your testimony or a Selah moment that you would like to hear on the podcast.

I'd love to hear from you.

So remember that God is speaking.

He wants to guide you and direct you with his wisdom for your life.

So create space to listen.

Be patient with yourself as you learn and trust that the same God who spoke the universe into existence wants to speak into your ordinary everyday life.

So may you go from this place, resting not just in body but in spirit, carrying the awareness that his presence is always near.

May you be rooted in the unshaken, unshakable word of God, the Logos that ground you and the rhema that guide you.

For man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

And may you keep rising into the life he designed for you, into purpose, into peace, into the fullness of his calling.

May your life become a living Selah, an intentional pause that reveals his presence.

It is in Jesus name that we pray, and it is so.

Selah.

Sam.