Car Trouble Taught Me about the Goodness of God
A devotional by Kerry Sue Teravskis
When we’re in a season of affliction or trouble, crying out to God for help is a natural response for most people. Enduring relentless pain or scorn can be unbearable at times. Excruciating at others.
King David wrote Psalm 69, and he knew trouble. He knew hardships, running, enemies, pain, affliction, and he knew the mercy of God. It is what makes this Psalm so relatable.
There are three attributes of God’s character he calls on in this one verse: goodness, love and mercy. It reminds me of another Psalm written by King David. Psalm 23:6 (NIV) says, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
God’s goodness is beyond measure and something inexplainable with mere words. His goodness passed before Moses when he was in the cleft of the rock (see Exodus 34:6). The Lord’s goodness is so great, He had to hide Moses. Only then could Moses glimpse God’s goodness.
Have you felt the goodness of God before? Have you felt His Presence so powerful and real that you felt enveloped in His love? How did it make you feel? Overwhelmed? In awe? As if you were standing on holy ground?
There are times in my life when I have felt His goodness and I was left in awe because of it. These moments are powerful in that they left me without a doubt of His being in my life, in the here and now and in my moments of deep desperation.
On a recent trip out of state, we had five hundred miles to travel on a lonely two-lane highway for much of the time. Not more than three hours into our trip we experienced significant truck engine issues—so much so, we had to backtrack 45 miles to get help as it was the nearest town with nothing being ahead of us for many, many miles.
We were desperate, we needed saving, we needed help and we needed it fast. We needed God to show us His mercy in this situation, His guidance and His goodness. And He did. Multiple times over. Before we knew we needed a solution, it was there. Before we could worry, He had an answer.
As the day wore into evening, and we were again experiencing more engine troubles, we cried out to God for His mercy. As we drove along the desolate stretch of highway, with my husband driving, I was praying out loud for God’s mercy because we had nowhere else to turn. No town was ahead of us, no town behind us. It was pitch dark outside, late and getting later, colder and darker. We cried out for His goodness to follow us, to lead us and for His mercy to sustain us. He did just that. When we were tempted to worry, God reminded us of His goodness. When we were tempted to take our eyes off of Him and onto the desolate road in front of us, He reminded us our help was found in Him, and Him alone. When we were tempted to turn around and go back, He reminded us we needed to God forward in Him, not backwards. With the Lord’s complete guidance, we did in fact make it to our destination, intact.
As we put our trust, hope and hearts upon the Lord, we experienced His peace, His grace and His love. We were so thankful for this demonstration of God’s presence in our lives in real time and in our very real moment of desperation.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is truth. God’s peace does guard our hearts and minds. He keeps us in peace and places protection found in His Presence around us so we cannot falter. And it is good. So good.
Are you needing His goodness, love and mercy in your situation? Why not cry out to God and allow Him to pour them over you and leave you in His perfect peace?
Let’s Pray: Father God, You are amazing and Your goodness, love and mercy are what I need, now and every day. Forgive me for when I have allowed myself to fret when I should have gone to You immediately. I am here, asking for Your goodness to follow me. Your love to chase me. And Your mercy to envelope me. I praise You for all You do. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection: “Goodness of God” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.
~*~
Author Bio:
As a wife and Marmee to three adult children and one brand new daughter-in-love, Kerry Sue’s life is very full. She met her husband in college and served in the mission field with him for a few years before settling down back in the United States of America to raise their family.
A devotional by Kerry Sue Teravskis
“Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.”
—Psalm 69:16 (NIV)
When we’re in a season of affliction or trouble, crying out to God for help is a natural response for most people. Enduring relentless pain or scorn can be unbearable at times. Excruciating at others.
King David wrote Psalm 69, and he knew trouble. He knew hardships, running, enemies, pain, affliction, and he knew the mercy of God. It is what makes this Psalm so relatable.
There are three attributes of God’s character he calls on in this one verse: goodness, love and mercy. It reminds me of another Psalm written by King David. Psalm 23:6 (NIV) says, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
God’s goodness is beyond measure and something inexplainable with mere words. His goodness passed before Moses when he was in the cleft of the rock (see Exodus 34:6). The Lord’s goodness is so great, He had to hide Moses. Only then could Moses glimpse God’s goodness.
Have you felt the goodness of God before? Have you felt His Presence so powerful and real that you felt enveloped in His love? How did it make you feel? Overwhelmed? In awe? As if you were standing on holy ground?
There are times in my life when I have felt His goodness and I was left in awe because of it. These moments are powerful in that they left me without a doubt of His being in my life, in the here and now and in my moments of deep desperation.
On a recent trip out of state, we had five hundred miles to travel on a lonely two-lane highway for much of the time. Not more than three hours into our trip we experienced significant truck engine issues—so much so, we had to backtrack 45 miles to get help as it was the nearest town with nothing being ahead of us for many, many miles.
We were desperate, we needed saving, we needed help and we needed it fast. We needed God to show us His mercy in this situation, His guidance and His goodness. And He did. Multiple times over. Before we knew we needed a solution, it was there. Before we could worry, He had an answer.
As the day wore into evening, and we were again experiencing more engine troubles, we cried out to God for His mercy. As we drove along the desolate stretch of highway, with my husband driving, I was praying out loud for God’s mercy because we had nowhere else to turn. No town was ahead of us, no town behind us. It was pitch dark outside, late and getting later, colder and darker. We cried out for His goodness to follow us, to lead us and for His mercy to sustain us. He did just that. When we were tempted to worry, God reminded us of His goodness. When we were tempted to take our eyes off of Him and onto the desolate road in front of us, He reminded us our help was found in Him, and Him alone. When we were tempted to turn around and go back, He reminded us we needed to God forward in Him, not backwards. With the Lord’s complete guidance, we did in fact make it to our destination, intact.
As we put our trust, hope and hearts upon the Lord, we experienced His peace, His grace and His love. We were so thankful for this demonstration of God’s presence in our lives in real time and in our very real moment of desperation.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is truth. God’s peace does guard our hearts and minds. He keeps us in peace and places protection found in His Presence around us so we cannot falter. And it is good. So good.
Are you needing His goodness, love and mercy in your situation? Why not cry out to God and allow Him to pour them over you and leave you in His perfect peace?
Let’s Pray: Father God, You are amazing and Your goodness, love and mercy are what I need, now and every day. Forgive me for when I have allowed myself to fret when I should have gone to You immediately. I am here, asking for Your goodness to follow me. Your love to chase me. And Your mercy to envelope me. I praise You for all You do. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection: “Goodness of God” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.
~*~
Author Bio:
As a wife and Marmee to three adult children and one brand new daughter-in-love, Kerry Sue’s life is very full. She met her husband in college and served in the mission field with him for a few years before settling down back in the United States of America to raise their family.
Kerry Sue’s family was a homeschooling family for 20 years and they enjoyed it immensely. For the last 23 years they have lived on a small farm in Northern California where they have raised many farm animals, along with growing and preserving their food. Kerry Sue’s family farm has been a great source of enjoyment and a place to host many family gatherings. She maintains an open-door policy for dear friends—old and new.
Following and serving Jesus Christ is an integral part of Kerry Sue’s life as well as her family’s.
Whether it’s singing in our church choir, teaching children or leading and lecturing at a women’s Bible study, Kerry Sue loves to demonstrate her love for Jesus by giving to Him in service. She’s been a blogger for more than eight years, a Bible study writer for two years, and a devotional writer for about one year.
Kerry Sue writes about finding God’s Sovereignty in our pain and suffering.
~*~
Connect with Kerry:
Blog: https://www.sovereignblog.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.teravskis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteravskis/
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