For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. (Acts
Goodness is
the radiance or beaming of a pure and happy Christian soul. It is quick to see
and magnify whatever is good in others, as Barnabas was: It is incapable of
jealousy or envy; else he would never have gone to
Such
goodness is not natural to us. It is the fruit of our union with the true Vine,
whose sap may be compared to the Holy Spirit. Before we can be the good man,
for whom some would even dare to die, we must become grafted into Christ so
that His goodness may make its way through our sour dispositions.
The most
difficult thing of all is to continue to manifest this goodness when our lives
are united, as Abigail's was, to that of a cruel man (1 Samuel 25:3). She was a
beautiful woman, of good understanding, and full of tact. Her speech, which
caught David's attention when he was about to avenge himself on Nabal, is a
model of good sense. He heartily thanked her for it, as having saved him from a
hasty deed, which would have filled his after-life with regret. Nabal was a cruel
man, evil in his doings, and as his servants said, "'such a son of Belial,
that none could speak to him"--a man who did not know what it was to be cheerful.
Nabal was his name and his nature! What a constant pain it must have been to
this noble woman to be united to such a cruel individual! That is a test of
real goodness; it is a triumph of God's grace.
Guard
against stinginess and selfishness. When ever possible, give liberally and
generously to every good cause. Be very careful of going back on your first
intentions, which in the matter of giving are probably more trustworthy than
the proverbial after-thoughts. Be always careful to dwell on and extol whatever
you find admirable and noble in the character of others.
It was said
of Charles Kingsley: "No fatigue was too great to make him forget the
courtesy of less wearied moments, no business too engrossing to deprive him of
his readiness to show kindness and sympathy. To school himself to this code of
unfaltering high and noble living was truly one of the great works of his
life."
PRAYER
Teach us to
exert a wholesome and gracious influence on those with whom we come in contact,
radiating in every look and gesture the sweet savor of Christ, and shedding in
every act the genial light caught from His face. May the world be really better
because we are living in it today. In Jesus' holy name I pray,
God's
Daily Promise
Promise #315:
Come boldly to My throne when you need to find mercy and grace.
Hebrews 4:16 (WEB)
Let us therefore draw near
with boldness to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy,
and may find grace for help in time of need.
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