OphthalmoS has an eye (and a heart) for the good in all things, like our brother Paul did (Philippians 4:8, scenario34). It is an active thing with OphthalmoS, this looking for the good, you know, sort of knee-jerk. Actually, OphthalmoS is as much a doer of good as a looker for the good in this or that. Practicing the former makes the latter a whole lot easier to spot when it seems there is no good to be found, and the latter reveals new “do-good-vistas” for the former says OphthalmoS.
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In the outworking of this scenario please consider the following:
SENSITIVITY POINTS UNDER CONSIDERATION
2. It is easy to find the good when the wind is in our sails and the seas are calm.
3. Some questions.
5. One must want to look for the good.
1. For starters, please take a look at this image—what good is there in it? Can the reader’s eye and heart see and understand at least seven good things? Do you try to find the good all about you? If so, do you go it alone, or by leaning on God’s discerning whispers per His not so whispering Word?
2. Calm seas and smooth sailing, wouldn’t it be wonderful if all our days were like that? What sorts of people would we be, particularly as concerns our utility for God, if it was all sunshine and roses? But of course our days are not calm seas and smooth sailing, ever sunshine and roses, yet there is good to be found always because a good God is always behind the scenes. It brings us to the next point and some questions.
3. What good is there in the following: birth and life, death, joy, and sorrow, sickness, suffering, and pain, good health, peace, war, poverty, wealth, friends, and enemies, losing, winning… Please try to prayerfully place yourself into the stark reality of those various scenarios and ask God to help you find the good from His perspective. Is the good somehow wrapped up in God’s purposes here? If yes, precisely how in each case; what might those purposes be?
4. We want to consider Proverbs 3:5-6 in this context. It is hard to find the good in our circumstances sometimes (leaning on our own understanding), but it is never hard to trust in our Lord, for He is trustworthy in keeping with His goodness. He is a good God, indeed, He is the God of good (1Chronicles 16:34 ; Psalms 34:8, 100:5, 107:8-9, 136:1, 145:9 ; Isaiah 61:1 ; Nahum 1:7 ; Luke 1:19, 2:10, 4:16-21 ; Acts 10:38, 13:32 ; James 3:17). Yes, He is the God of good, and there is no question that He can show us the good that we cannot find sometimes. Would you agree that “circumstance” is just another way of saying (God’s) “providence,” precisely providence/s unto good from a good God (e.g., 2Corinthians 12:7)? There must surely always be some good to be found in our “circumstances,” therefore, amen? Amen.
5. Some folks do not want to find, and thus do not look for, the good in this or that. Here follows just one case in point; there are many sad to say: “Poor, poor, pitiful me” does not look for the good, but rather only the bad, particularly as it spills on them unto this or that negativity as they perceive it.
I’m gonna’ settle into a dark corner and cry,
oh if only I could but straightaway, straightaway die.
Why is life always picking on poor, poor, pitiful me,
looking here, and there, nothing but the bad I see.
Is “poor, poor, pitiful me” you dearest reader, are you thus hoodwinked and vexed by that fool Satan (2Corinthians 4:3)? Or are you one of the tough-minded troopers of the prior point that trust in the Lord and look for His good purposes and transfer all trust unto Him? Why is trusting in our God fundamental to looking for and finding the Good in life and beyond of course? Let us pause and pray for unbelievers who by default do not trust in the Lord and thus find themselves ever so hoodwinked, confused, and vexed by Satan. (“A Letter of Invitation” unto aplenty Good in this life and beyond beloved unbelieving reader.)
6. Who from the very moment that it happened saw any good in the crucifixion of Jesus? No one did, hardly a one down here on this side of the” veil of tears” saw any good in It. (“Vale of tears” as per Psalms 84:6, aptly “veil of [sad] tears” down here in the land of sin and sorrow [tears of joy yonder o’er on the other side of the veil Jeremiah 31:9—Israel’s Father is our Father]). But carefully notice again Psalms 84:6, there is good even in that valley in the end, having passed through the “veil;” yea assuredly having passed through (for reference, BACA = weeping). But of course, God saw the good in it, only God did, from the very beginning, He saw the crucifixion of Jesus as our, even our “passage through the veil” (Matthew 27:50-51). And Jesus trusted God and certainly saw it too (Proverbs 3:5-6, Hebrews 12:2—looking only at Jesus translates to seeing much good).
7. Dear Christian friend, diligently looking for God is none other than diligently looking for the Good, the two searches are indistinguishable, but the order matters! When looking for God we are by default looking for the Good, and we can never truly find the latter without first finding the former. And God, Jehovah God, the Great I AM, He is in the face of Jesus Christ 2Corinthians 4:3-6). Let us shine that blessed face onto whatever it is that besets us for the Good that shall be revealed.
Praised be your Name in all the earth great Savior God. Amen.