{"id":35510,"date":"2023-07-03T03:30:02","date_gmt":"2023-07-03T10:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=35510"},"modified":"2023-06-23T13:42:27","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T20:42:27","slug":"july-3-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2023\/07\/03\/july-3-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"July 3, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

His Great Goodness<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cOh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!\u201d Psalm 31:19<\/em><\/p>\n

In the weeks preceding Christmas and birthdays, we buy gifts for loved ones and set them aside. I have a large box with a lid that is under a bunch of junk in a closet, and no one ever thinks to look there for hidden gifts. I have \u201claid up,\u201d or \u201cset aside,\u201d or \u201chidden\u201d the gifts I have purchased. I have someone in mind to give each gift to, and no one else will get someone else\u2019s gift. The gifts belong to certain people, but they don\u2019t yet have them in their possession. They haven\u2019t taken hold of the gifts yet.<\/p>\n

In the above Scripture, it is God\u2019s goodness that He Himself has laid up for us that fear Him. He has prepared the goodness<\/strong> (there\u2019s an interesting thought right there!) and set it aside until such time as we take hold of it.<\/p>\n

This same verse in the Rotherham* translation says, \u201cHow great is Thy goodness which Thou hast hidden away<\/strong> for them who revere Thee.<\/em>\u201d Here we see that God has hidden away the goodness for us.<\/p>\n

If something is hidden, we could go looking for it, and find it. But we could also wait until it is given by the giver. Here is a beautiful thought from Amy Carmichael about what the Lord has laid up for us: \u201cWe don\u2019t see it all now; it is hidden away, kept for a surprise of love<\/em>.”**<\/p>\n

When would we need the surprise of His goodness? What would be the circumstances that would bring about His sudden tender touch of compassion, His gracious gifts, His wondrous ways? Let\u2019s watch for Him to extend His goodness at the moment of our greatest need.<\/p>\n

Precious Lord, grant me the awareness to see Your goodness toward me, and may I be truly thankful. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

A note from today’s devotional writer:<\/p>\n

Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible <\/em>is a translation of the Bible that uses various methods to bring out nuances of the underlying Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts. It was produced byJoseph Bryant Rotherham, a Bible scholar and minister of the Churches of Christ, who described his goal as “placing the reader of the present time in as good a position as that occupied by the reader of the first century for understanding the Apostolic Writings.” Rotherham’s translation has stayed in print over the years because of the wealth of information it presents. John R Kohlenberger III says in his preface to the 1994 printing, “The Emphasized Bible<\/em> is one of the most innovative and thoroughly researched translations ever done by a single individual. Its presentation of emphases and grammatical features of the original languages still reward careful study.” Just in case you\u2019re interested in further study!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

*Rotherham, Joseph Bryant. Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible<\/em>. Kregel. 1 January 1994.<\/h6>\n
**Carmichael, Amy. Edges of His Ways<\/em>. CLC Publications. 1 January 1980.<\/h6>\n<\/div>
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