Week 42 – October 13-19, 2024: Good Things

This week’s daily readings:

October 13-19, 2024

This week’s devotional:

Good Things

by The Rev. Justin Elerath

Scripture:

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless. 

— Psalm 84:11 (NIV) 

Reflection:

The desire for “blessing” always seems to be just beyond what we have been provided. Once you’ve received what you desire, you desire more. There is no end to this predicament. Yet we are assured that “no good thing is withheld from those whose walk is blameless.” If we accept this as truth, we must question our own definition of “good things.” 

I find it easy to focus on what I don’t have and forget all that I do have. I know that all I have is from the Lord (Romans 11:36), yet I continuously seek to have more. Looking closely, we see Psalm 84:11 provides balance for this desire I have to seek more and more blessing when it clarifies that this promise is for “those whose walk is blameless.” In Ephesians 1:4, Paul is very clear that God “chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” However, being blameless isn’t dependent on anything I have done. Instead, it is Christ’s work on the cross that grants me the status of being blameless. And in that state, God will not withhold anything good. This isn’t health, wealth, and prosperity, this is a heart check. 

We must consider that through pain, sickness, heartache… everything this world has to throw at us, we are still granted every good thing! It is not the good things of this world that are the true blessings, but the hope of salvation. And through that hope, we can have joy today – even through trials – even in the face of so many undesirable situations, because we are eternally blessed! It is hard to accept that our true hope is not fully realized this side of eternity, but God will ultimately restore things to the way they should be. 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I have so very many blessings from you, even in this life! How is it that I still seem to expect more? You have promised to withhold nothing good from me, but who can live a blameless life except for your awesome Son, Jesus?! My hope is forever in him. I praise you forever for the miracle of salvation, and I pray to you today in his Holy Name. Amen