You Lack No Good Thing by Pastor Paul

  Posted on July 17, 2018  by   No comments

We live in a very consumer-minded culture that is always looking for the next best thing that will make us happy. This mindset even creeps into the minds of believers. We think that because we don’t have something we want, then we must be lacking something. This causes us to grumble and complain and become discontent. We begin to get fixated on this thing or that thing and we lose our focus on Christ. We forget about the greatest gift of Christ and begin searching hard after a lesser gift. I have always been struck by Psalm 34: 8-10 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Here are some observations from this text: An attribute of God is that He IS good. Those who seek Him lack NO good thing. Those who fear Him have NO lack. Those who take refuge in Him ARE blessed. If you don’t seek and fear the Lord you WILL suffer want and hunger no matter how strong you are.

Many times we get caught up in praying for something good and if we don’t see an answer right way, we begin to doubt God’s goodness. Do you struggle to believe the goodness of God? Are you tempted to believe the lie that God is withholding something good from you? I want to submit to you that the Lord is good in the timing of His gifts, that He is good in the gifts themselves, and that He is good in the way he gives gifts. Some common things we pray to receive are good health, a good work environment, a spouse, children, or certain talents. These things are good, and though you may desire these things, whether you ever receive them or not, you still presently lack no good thing because you have Christ.  God has in mind our sanctification and in each moment we don’t often see how He is working. Verse 19 of Psalm 34 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Many good things come through suffering and afflictions. (ex. Hard job, defiant children, financial stress, etc.)  It is in these very afflictions that we receive perseverance, endurance, faith, hope, and trust in our Savior.

Your joy and satisfaction from any good thing does not increase by having more things, because your joy is first and foremost in knowing the Giver who Himself is the fullness of your joy. You see, it doesn’t matter how much or how little you have, as a believer knowing Jesus is our fullness of joy. In fact, if we seek to gain anything, we ought to seek to know Jesus more! We seek to know the Lord more through studying His Word, praying on all occasions, and by experiencing His love and power as we walk in obedience to Him daily. Whether or not you have received the things you desire, you presently lack no good thing if you have Christ.  “By His divine power, God has granted you everything you need for life and godliness in Christ.” (2 Peter 1). When we look to Jesus as our salvation, we have everything.

• You desire a house and don’t have one. In Christ you lack no good thing.
• You desire a spouse but you’re single. In Christ you lack no good thing.
• You desire a better job and don’t have one.  In Christ you lack no good thing.
• You desire to have children but don’t have any.  In Christ you lack no good thing.
• You desire a healthy and able body but don’t have one. In Christ you lack no good thing.

I am repeating myself intentionally because it is all too common for us all to doubt God’s goodness. If Christ is our greatest Gift and in Him we lack nothing, then we have something to encourage any person with in any circumstance, at any time. We tend to measure lack with worldly scales, but for those in Christ you lack nothing! And no matter your situation right now, you lack nothing as you seek Him, take refuge in Him, and fear Him. Even if you had the whole world yet did not know Christ you would lack everything.

This doesn’t mean we cannot pray and ask for good things, nor is it wrong to have many good things, but remember that God has already given the greatest gift in Christ, and all other good things come in his perfect timing and perfect way for our growth and sanctification. Let us encourage each other often with this truth. Our God is good and in Him we lack no good thing.