Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” Jesus replied, “Why do you ask Me about what is good? There is only One who is good.” Matthew 19:17-18 

There is nothing we can do to earn our way into a right relationship with Jesus except to believe that He is God’s Son who died and rose again. The Bible says that even our greatest deeds are like filthy rags compared to the goodness that we find in a relationship with Jesus. In this passage from Matthew, the rich young ruler wants to buy his way into eternal life. Jesus firmly lets him know that there is nothing good but God, and the only way to eternal life is to follow Him.

Action: Today, read Matthew 19:16-30 and Romans 3:19-26. If there is anything inside of you that believes you can do something good to earn God’s favor, pray that He would reveal that to you. Do not be trapped in the religious belief that you can earn eternal life. It was already done through Jesus on the cross. Only He is good, and only He can save.

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? ‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:4

God did not ask us to work hard to change. He told us that His goodness would lead us to a place where we would see a change in our lives by just accepting the finished work of His Son. He is patient with us and suffers long with us as we walk through a repentant season. You can stop striving to fix all of the things that are not good in your life. Begin thanking Him for bringing real change because of His goodness and not your own.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, by Your Son, You bring change into my life, and for that I am thankful. I pray that Your goodness would release a newness of life into me and my home. Thank You for Your kindness and patience in my life as I continue believing that in You, I have freedom from those things that bring bondage. And to this, I add a yes, and amen!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

Wherever you go, whatever you do, Jesus is always with you. He took up residence in you through the Holy Spirit. The goodness and mercy that are attributed to Christ are fully accessible to you forever. We cannot separate God from His goodness which means we cannot separate ourselves from that same goodness when we believe in Him.

Prayer/Action: Make this declaration today: I believe in Jesus. I believe that He is good and merciful and true. I believe that He died on the cross and rose again so that I could dwell in His house forever. Thank You, Jesus, for being right here with me all the days of my life and for all of eternity.

If you have never made that declaration before, please let us know here: I Said Yes!

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." ‭‭Genesis 2:18

Since the beginning of creation, God intended that we live in a relationship with Him and with each other. Even as He created the first man, He recognized that it was not good for man to be alone. So He created the woman, and this would mark the beginning of humanity’s relationship to one another and with their God. God called this act “good." We can take this to mean that relationship with others truly is a picture of His goodness toward us.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for the gifts of the relationships in my life. Thank You for showing Your goodness by providing friends and family in times of loneliness and joy. Where I feel alone, I pray You would find me a suitable friend or a helper. And where I have taken a relationship for granted, or where I need restoration, I pray for the opportunity to do that well. In Jesus' name, amen.