Daily Scripture Reading: Acts 11:24 KJV
Acts 11:24 KJV
(24) For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
Today’s Devotional Is THE FRUIT OF The SPIRIT GOODNESS
GOODNESS is the shining or shining of a happy Christian soul. It can see and magnify what is good in others, like Barnabas. It is not capable of jealousy or envy. His generous donation of patrimony proceeds and his ministry of consolation among his disciples were two examples of the goodness of this man.
We do not naturally possess such goodness. It is the result of our union with God, the true Vine, whose juice can be compared to that of the Holy Spirit. We must be grafted into Christ before we can become the good man for whom many would even dare die.
It is the most difficult thing to do when our lives are unified, like Abigail’s, to show this goodness (1Sa_25.3). She was beautiful, intelligent, and full of tact. David was astonished at her speech. He thanked her heartily for saving him from an impulsive act that would have left him with regret. Nabal was an evil churl and a scoundrel. His servants called him “such a son Belial that no one could speak to him”. He was a man who didn’t know what it meant to be merry. Nabal was both his name and his nature. It must have been a constant pain for this noble woman to be married to such a churl. This is a testimony to God’s goodness.
Avoid stinginess, niggardliness. Every good cause deserves generously and generous giving. Don’t forget your original intentions. They are more reliable than the after-thoughts. Always be mindful to praise and dwell on what you find admirable or noble in the character and actions of others.
Charles Kingsley was famous for saying that no fatigue could make him forget the kindness of those less tired moments and no business was too distracting to take away his willingness to show compassion and kindness. This code of noble and unfalteringly high living was one of the greatest achievements of Charles Kingsley’s life.
PRAYER for Today
Teach us how to be a gracious and loving influence on all those we meet, spreading the sweetness of Christ in every glance and gesture, and the radiant light from His face in every action. We live in it today, and the world will be better. AMEN.