Letter To Our Children
by Pastor Joe | August 3, 2022 | Letters To Our Children

August 3, 2022
When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
You say, "Goodbye" and I say, "Hello, hello, hello."
Hello, Goodbye- A song by the Beatles

Hello Friends!
Everything that happened with Jesus in His earthly ministry is “gospel” or good news because, by His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, God has forgiven us our sins, is blessing us, made us new, and given us His peace.
Even as the above reading tells us, before Jesus left earth to go back to heaven, He didn’t leave without blessing His followers. How good of Christ to leave them this way. I learned from a trusted friend years ago you can know a lot about a person by the way they say Hello and Goodbye.
The Blessing and Goodness of God
The Lord, The Lord God, (is) abundant in goodness, Exodus 34:6 is some of what God said describing Himself to Moses.
Sometimes when people think of God's goodness, it simply means that God doesn't care how we live. He will support you, no matter what, and let us go our own way; that is His job.
However, when the Bible speaks of God's goodness, it is a large part of His character. Goodness is part of who He is. To say God is good is true. So, when the Bible authors write, God is perfect, generous, merciful, gracious, and loving, they want us to see His goodness. And His goodness and blessing go hand in hand. And when God blesses, He always has good in mind, not bad.
Big Moments of God’s Blessing and Goodness.
When the world began, God concluded His creation by blessing Adam and Eve; and said all He had made was very good. (Genesis 1:26,31) God's blessing and His goodness, hand in hand.
Later, when God rescued His people from their slavery in Egypt, God blessed them with very familiar words to many of us before the journey.
‘“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace.”’
Why this blessing? They were to go on a very long journey. Times would be different than what they knew before. And God knew that they would need large amounts of His care, provision, protection, and His felt love. When Aaron said this prayer of blessing (benediction) over God’s people, all the goodness of God would always go with them on their journey.
And of course, the blessing of the Gospel.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in (Christ), we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.
The word grace, as used here, is often understood by Bible teachers as covering every act of divine goodness and blessing which is part of our salvation. For this reason. There has never been one day in our lives as Christians when God’s grace has not blessed us with something good such as forgiveness, protection, guidance, assurance, love, and care, in light of what the Gospel promises.
At the beginning of time, in a big moment in time for God’s people, at the time of our conversion, and the time God turns the lights off to this world, God’s goodness and blessing, hand in hand. His Hello, His Goodbyes, all in between—perfect!
God is good and blesses us because it's who He is. We need Him to be. For, if He isn't good, we are lost and deserve nothing from Him. So, it makes all the sense in the world to do what David wrote.
Let (us) give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for mankind.
Praise God for His daily goodness and blessing to us!
Pastor Joe