God’s not dead and he’s not done! Your life may look or feel like an unfinished painting—a huge mess with pieces missing.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

God wants you to know that although you may not be able to see it, He is still at work. He’s still doing a creative and brilliant work in your life and in the lives of those you love. Just because you can’t see the finished product doesn’t mean that it’s not going to be a masterpiece.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6 ESV

Philippians 1:6 refers to the unfinished work of God and tells us to be confident that He who began a good work will complete it. So, rest assured: God is still active and hard at work in your life.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. – Psalm 84:11 ESV

Nothing and no one can stop God’s favor in your life! Even if you feel like your painting is a mess, God can use that mess to bless the people in your world.

There is more in mind for you—more favor, more blessing, and more good things!

Think about it: How does knowing God has unfinished work in your life give you hope?

PRAY: Thank you God for starting a good work in me and promising to bring it to completion. Your favor is flowing into my life and I pray you will help me recognize when it is flowing through my life to help others. Give me an opportunity this week to encourage someone in their journey. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

You may have heard it before: life is hard; God is good. This statement is far more than a cliché: it’s a strong and solid theological truth.

Some incredibly smart people have wrestled with such questions as, “if God is good, then why does this happen? Why is injustice allowed, and why can life be so hard?” Those really smart people concluded that life is hard AND God is good. One doesn’t cancel out the other. They call it “theodicy.”

Most people assume that because life is hard, God must not be good—but that’s not the case. It’s not an either/or scenario. A few years ago, I decided that even when I couldn’t answer the “why?” part of that statement (“If God is good, then why ____?”), I decided that I would eliminate the “if.” In other words, I choose to believe that God is good . . . no matter what.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”– John 16:33 ESV

You can anchor yourself in God’s goodness too.

Start watching for the goodness of God despite the circumstances. Maybe the door gets closed on one opportunity, but maybe God has something better in store that we have to walk through a different door in order to access it. This has happened so many times in my own life that now I expect it.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 ESV

When something doesn’t go my way, I remind myself of God’s track record and I start watching for the next opportunity that will uncover God’s ultimate plan through the process.

Being anchored in the goodness of God isn’t always going to be a rational thing. It’s a stubborn, unrelenting determination not to let the hardships of life downsize the bigness of God.

Think about it: What are ways you can remind yourself to watch for God’s goodness despite the circumstances?

PRAY: God, thank you for helping me get anchored in your goodness. Give me strength today to stop wondering and start watching for your favor in every situation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield. – Psalm 5:12 ESV

Seeking God’s goodness daily helps us to expect good things to show up in our lives. God’s goodness isn’t hiding, and his favor doesn’t make limited appearances . . . we just have to have eyes that seek to find. We’re not always keenly aware of God’s favor, which is why the Apostle Paul prayed for his friends to be enlightened.

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, – Ephesians 1:18 ESV

Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus and told them he was praying that the “eyes of [their] heart may be enlightened.” Here’s the deal: favor surrounds us. When I start looking for good things in my life, I realize they can be found everywhere even in unlikely places. Sometimes when God’s favor is the least visible, it is functioning at it’s best on our behalf. Train your eyes to see the good and watch the good revealed around every turn.

God’s favor can be drawn to you by your attitude and mindset, and it can be kept from you by the very same. Favor may be impartial from one person to the next, but that doesn’t mean it’s compatible with everyone’s attitudes and mindsets.

for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. – Proverbs 23:7 ESV

When we choose to be a good finder, it increases God’s favor in our lives.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. – Luke 11:34 ESV

Think about it: How can you begin to retrain your mind to focus on good things?

PRAY: Thank you God for giving me the ability to retrain my mind so that I can see more of the good that is part of my life. I want to become a good finder so that I can think and expect more of your favor daily. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.