Growing Goodness Again | Saturday SOULfood

Happy Saturday, 70,114,105,101,110,100—

In today's SOULfood, guest contributor Sarah Freymuth reminds us of the goodness of our God. Look for it, friend, and you will find it! -Sarah Koontz

The world grows darker, alive with the flames of destruction each day. Our own lives are shaped by sorrow, suffering, and situations beyond our control or capacity.

We’ve been battered down, and the spiritual soil has dried up. The scorched earth of our souls stings from lost dreams, deep disappointment, and heartbreak.

The temptation to succumb to apathy in our tired hearts seems easy. Continuing when every step seems small and weighed down is hard.

Sometimes, we question whether we’ll see any good grow from the loss.

How do we rebuild from the rubble?

The good news is God is in the business of restoration. He longs to return the joy of our salvation (Ps 51:12) and exchange our mourning clothes for praise (Is 61:3).

As we wait for God and ask for the things He desires for us—like hope, trust, and more of His Spirit—our souls are strengthened and a deeper faith emerges.

We have a way back to the joy we desire and can grow hope for God’s goodness again.

Here are three truths we can hold to as we prepare our hearts to grow in faith again:

1 - Remember God’s goodness in the past (Ps 77:11–12).

God has always been faithful. Scripture, the events of our lives, and the fingerprints of God’s presence testify to this truth.

What God has done for His people throughout history, He still does today.

The Israelites, fickle as they were to follow God’s commands, still found their way through parted seas and were ushered into the promised land.

We can walk through the list of those who flourished in the Lord’s faithfulness: Esther and the saving of her people, David and his journey from shepherd boy to king, and even the growth of Christ’s Church amidst harsh persecution.

Never once has God stopped caring for His people.

As we look back throughout our own lives, where can we see God? Where did He show up for us?

By recounting what God has done, we can observe how He has been faithful in the past and trust He’ll continue to be faithful now.

2 - Hold to God’s promises today (2 Cor 1:20).

All over Scripture, God is clear about His faithfulness to those He loves and shows His goodness over and over.

God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps 119:105).

Through Scripture, the Lord directs our steps. He leads us to healing and comforts us with His everlasting love.

What promises do we need to hold onto today? How can we position our hearts to believe God is transforming us through His Word?

3 - Look for the good tomorrow (Ps 23:6).

Looking for the good ahead is where we cultivate a heart of expectancy. God honors faith—the act of holding tight to what cannot be seen and believing in what is not yet (Heb 11:1).

As we shift our mindset to the days to come, we bring along God’s faithfulness, power, and love.

The more we speak His truth into our minds and hearts, the more we plant new seeds of faith. The Holy Spirit waters these seeds and renews us.

In this process, we train our eyes to find signs of God’s goodness.

Over time, this way of thinking and expectancy can become second nature to us. Gradually, believing and expecting God to show up in beautiful and personal ways becomes our normal.

Goodness can grow again. It’s part of God’s plan for His children.

Like barren winter fields, life moves beneath the surface. Spring rains revive us.

God’s goodness is evident when our hope is hinged on Him. We can hold onto hope by clinging to the goodness and grace of our God.

The Lord’s goodness has gone before us.

The Lord longs to tend to our battered places and revive what has been trampled and barren. Let’s cultivate the soil of our souls and seek God’s goodness today.

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” - Lamentations 3:25–26 NIV

- Sarah Freymuth