Fruitful Living

What does it mean that God is good?

5 examples in everyday life
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! – Psalm 34:8,NKJV

INTRODUCTION
We often hear the phrase, “God is good.” It is used in songs, sermons, and is sometimes used as a response when both good and bad things happen in our lives, for example: a person who avoids tragedy due to car trouble or a delayed flight. Other examples are good things that happen to people, like circumstances aligning perfectly for them to buy a house or replace their old car when previously things looked very bleak. In all these things, we often say, “God is good.”
Still, what does this mean? According to Merriam Webster, (dictionary) the definition of “God” is “the being in perfect power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe,” however; isn’t He more than this? God is good in so many ways–the way He provides for us, guides us, and watches over us–but it goes even deeper than that. God’s goodness is who He is, and we are created in His image, so, therefore, we share His goodness.
God’s goodness shows up in our lives every single day. Although we often think of His goodness when something big happens, His goodness abounds
all the time–in every hour, minute, and second of the day, in the smallest of things around us. Here are five examples of His goodness in our everyday lives.
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good-” Luke 18:19

Waking Us Up
Every day that God wakes us up is an example of His goodness. This means we are still working towards the purpose and gifts He has given us. It shows us that He isn’t finished with us yet and that we still have a mission to fulfill. We shall not grumble and complain about getting out of bed and going to work. We should be happy that we are still breathing and living for Him. Many are worse off than us who need to see our light shining in the world every day.

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” – Psalm 143:8

Pouring His Favour on Us
On the days when we are surrounded by the smallest and most significant of blessings, we know that God is pouring His favour on us. This can be anything from your coworker bringing you your favourite coffee to your boss calling you in their office to discuss a raise or promotion. We need to pay attention
to all the little things in our day, both big and small, that are a blessing to us. A lot of times, it’s the little things that mean so much.

“God has now revealed to us His mysterious will regarding Christ-which is to fulfill His own good plan-” Ephesians 1:9

3. Protecting Us
We have all heard about the woman who had car trouble and missed being in a massive pile-up on the interstate. We have heard about the disease/cancer detection that almost did not happen due to a practically-missed appointment. These are the significant ways He protects us, but He works in the smaller things too: for example, the gossip that is going around that never reaches your ears or the coworker that is trying to sabotage you but your boss, instead, sees the honest and hard work that you do. These are all ways He protects us on a daily basis.

4. Speaking To Us through Prayer
Prayer is our most powerful connection to God. It is how we express our thanks and gratitude, make our petitions known, and intercede for others. Sometimes we get an answer of “yes,” sometimes, “no” and sometimes, “wait.” Sometimes, He gives us specific instructions and, sometimes, He is silent. Other times, He speaks to us and provides us with an answer in the most surprising of ways. No matter what, He always answers, and we need to look for those answers every day. In issues big and small, He will often nudge our hearts and draw our attention in the right direction.

5. Guiding Us
We make a thousand little decisions a day, everything from deciding whether we will do our job well or whether or not to take on a client. Sometimes, we have to determine whether an opportunity is right for us and if we should follow a particular path. In these moments, God is guiding us. We need to stop, take a breath and pay attention. How do we feel in our hearts? How do we feel in our gut? We need to be still and listen to that small voice we know so well. Listen to Him whispering to our hearts about what choices are right for us. Pay attention to the signs He sends us. This is His way of guiding us and nudging us to our best selves, so that we may live in the gifts we have been given and the purpose He has for us.
Are you concerned that you will get too busy and miss the signs of God’s goodness in your life?
Let’s pray.

Dear Lord,
We thank You for allowing us to wake up every morning. Please help us to slow down in the midst of our busy lives. Allow us to see Your goodness in every day, no matter how big or small. Help us to acknowledge Your blessings immediately when they are poured out upon us. Thank You for Your protection and guidance. Help us to listen carefully and discern Your voice whispering to our hearts in answer to our prayers. Rejoice in our happiness when You say yes, help us see the reasons You say, “no,” and give us the patience and wisdom we need for when You say, “wait.”
Help us to walk in alignment to Your goodness and shine it into the world for all who need it. Allow us to see the abundance of Your goodness in our lives, and others lives every day. In Jesus name we pray with thanksgiving. Amen.

STAY BLESSED!!
For further inquires please contact us on Tel Nos. 0268130615 or 0243588467
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightgh.org.

By Dr Joyce Aryee

Fruitful Living

Environmental degradation in contemporary times (Part 3)

Unfortunately, some anti-social human activities today often breach these Islamic principles :

• Illegal mining (Galamsey) leads to water pollution and destroys fertile lands.

• Improper sand mining causes land degradation and deforestation.

• Unauthorised tree felling endangers ecosystems and biodiversity.

• Encroachment on wetlands and water ways leads to urban flooding and ecological imbalance.

These destructive practices violate the ethical duty of humans as stewards of the earth and

contradict both Islamic law and state regulations.

Key International

Environmental Protocols

• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands – Adopted in 1971, Iran

• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) – Adopted in 1982, Jamaica

• Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer – Adopted in 1987

• Convention on Biological Diversity – Opened for signature at the Rio Earth Summit, 1992

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Adopted in 1992

• Kyoto Protocol – Adopted in 1997, Japan

• Paris Agreement on Climate Change – Adopted in 2015

These protocols aim to promote sustainable environmental practices, mitigate climate change, and preserve natural habitats. Islam’s emphasis on balance, responsibility, and justice aligns with the goals of these agreements.

Provisions in the 1992

Constitution of Ghana

The 1992 Constitution of Ghana upholds environmental protection:

• Article 36(9): “The State shall take appropriate measures needed to protect and

safeguard the national environment for posterity.”

• Article 41(k): “It shall be the duty of every citizen to protect and safeguard the

environment.”

These provisions demonstrate that environmental responsibility is a constitutional duty for both state and citizens.

National Legal Statutes on

Environmental Protection

Ghana has enacted various environmental laws, including:

• Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1994 (Act 490).

This law established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the main state

institution responsible for protecting and improving Ghana’s environment.

The EPA monitors pollution, regulates industrial activities, issues environmental permits, and

ensures that development projects undergo Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)

before approval.

Purpose: To control pollution and ensure sustainable environmental practices in industries, agriculture, and urban development.

Fruitful Living

Renewing our minds (Part 1)

When someone accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, “he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17. That is why Apostle Paul advises us in Romans 12:2 (our key text) “do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.” But it doesn’t end there.

A MIND TRANSFORMED

Nature abhors vacuums so when something is taken away from a space and that space is not quickly refilled, other things will start creeping in to fill up the space. The Bible gives an illustration of what happens when a vacuum is created in the life of a believer: “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”- Matthew 12:43-45.

A believer’s Christian experience is supposed to move from the initial phase of justification by faith in Christ, to daily sanctification for holy living, to glorification at Jesus’ second coming, and to eventual restoration to the pre-fall harmony between God and man. Knowing that the heart of a believer cannot be left empty after clearing it of the worldly things, Paul gives the prescription for daily sanctification with which to fill the vacuum: “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

WHAT KIND OF

TRANSFORMATION?

Transformation is defined as “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance or a metamorphosis during the life cycle of an animal.” We find these kinds of transformation happening all the time around us. Examples include a baby that we see twenty years later as an adult, a cancer survivor who has regained lost weight, a new mother we saw last when she was eight months pregnant.

I have seen many actors and actresses in real life whose faces do not look as flawless at close range as they do on TV. I now know that the credit for their on-screen transformation often belongs to makeup. Similarly, a smelly room can be transformed with air freshener, people with the right clothing, and a gloomy room with the right colours and objects.

No doubt all of these examples of transformation look good, but they are all external and non-lasting forms of transformation. They are definitely not the kind of transformation Paul has in mind as capable of filling the vacuum left by non-conformity with the world’s pattern. He says, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The right kind of transformation that he’s talking about here is not the one that comes from make-up slathered on, or having a particular dress on, or the right colors thrown here and there. It is the kind that comes “by the renewing of the mind.” What then is the state of the human mind that it needs to be thus renewed?