Allow God’s goodness to draw you to him

God is good. The more we realize the true nature of God, the more we will see God working in our lives.

If, on the other hand, people attribute the bad circumstances of life to God, how would they be drawn to him? We are led to repent and turn toward God because of his goodness, according to Romans 2:4.

I received God’s love because I was drawn to the goodness that he showed me in my life. When I came to Alaska in April 1999, I had three goals. I wanted to fill my freezers with meat, buy a piece of land that bordered state property and build my own house. It was God who took me on this journey to Alaska, and he was about to show me his goodness. He was about to help me accomplish all my dreams so that I would be drawn closer to him and the love that he wanted me to receive.

God brought me to places of bounty. I caught large salmon, halibut and other fish in abundance. I also went on hunting trips and shot caribou and a large bull moose.

While I was fervently hunting and fishing, I also was saving up to buy a piece of property. About the time I had filled my freezers, I purchased a piece of property that bordered state land. God gave me what I wanted and added to it an impressive view.

God also protected me. I asked God to protect me from harm while cutting down trees. Not one of them that I cut down ever touched me. One downed tree came sliding down a hill only inches from my legs as I watched it roll past me, unable to move. I began to thank God a little more that day. I began to see his goodness in the protection that he gave me.

God helped me fulfill dreams that were impossible to do by myself. God brought men into my life to run the heavy equipment necessary to make a road and level the ground in preparation for raising my house. I paid the price of the rental equipment, plus the cost of some beer and cigarettes for the men who helped. I could do nothing but watch and ponder on God’s goodness as the ground was transformed before my eyes.

God prepared me to succeed. God had already prepared me to build my house. When I first arrived in Alaska, God opened the door to a construction job where I learned the basics of building. Then I made some friends who were also building a house. I began to help them and learned what I needed to know to get started.

God cared for me. When I needed help putting up my oriented strandboard, a friend stopped by and helped me finish it. When it was getting late in the year and my trusses were not up, my neighbor worked with me and suggested that I get some extra help to finish the job in time for winter. When it was 20 below and I was digging to put in my electrical pedestal wearing a ragged, worn out jacket, a man stopped by and gave me a heavy-duty Slope coat.

After the house was livable, I had accomplished all that I had set out to do in Alaska. I started to realize that I needed something more than just a dream to fill the emptiness inside.

I started searching for God. Soon after, a caring person took me to a Bible study and I started to learn of God’s love. I met people who truly cared for me. I saw a real love in them that gave without expecting to receive anything. I chose to pursue that kindness and love and later received Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

God loved me even while I was not right with him. God never condemned me or ridiculed me. He constantly poured out love to me so that I would see his goodness.

God is love. According to John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Receiving God’s love is a choice, and his love is available for all.

“If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved,” according to Romans 10:9.

If you want God’s love, you can ask him right now, turn away from sin and turn toward his love. Now is the time to call on the Lord. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” according to Romans 10:13.

Brian Endle is a missions director at Palmer Victory Fellowship of Palmer. Contact Palmer Victory at pvf.outreach@gmail.com or 745-5045.

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