When Every Day Is A Bonus Day

How much do you really think about the goodness of God? Do you thank Him when life is smooth, or do you mostly call on Him when times get tough?

It might not seem like a deep question, but after walking through leukemia and prostate cancer, I can tell you this: every single day is a bonus day.

I often say, “I’m cancer free today.” Tomorrow is unknown, but today I’ll thank God for the gift of life.

When Nehemiah led God’s people back after years of drifting, they stopped and remembered God’s faithfulness. They said:

“You have great mercy, so you did not leave them in the desert. The pillar of cloud guided them by day, and the pillar of fire led them at night, lighting the way they were to go. You gave your good Spirit to teach them. You gave them manna to eat and water when they were thirsty. You took care of them for forty years in the desert; they needed nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell” (Nehemiah 9:19–21 NCV).

That’s not just good, that’s amazing. God is not only good, He is holy, just, kind, gracious, and He is love itself. He loved us so much that He gave His Son to die in our place, paying for our sins.

Who does that?

Who keeps forgiving, keeps loving the unlovely, and keeps drawing people back to Himself? Only God. Only Jesus. Only the Holy Spirit.

God’s goodness also shows up in His daily care. “Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NCV).

Every sunrise, every breath, every blessing, big or small, flows from His hand.

His goodness also shows up in His protection. “The Lord is good, giving protection in times of trouble. He knows who trusts in him” (Nahum 1:7 NCV).

That means even in the middle of your hardest battle, His goodness has not moved an inch - in fact, it’s leaned into “you”.

Life is not always good. Sin is in the world. There’s sickness, selfishness, loss, death, and evil. But God’s goodness never changes. He’s still on the throne, still watching over us.

The Israelites saw His hand so clearly (or I think that they did) - that even their clothes and shoes didn’t wear out in the wilderness. In short - God is grace in action. I want to be like that. It doesn’t come naturally for me.

So if anything at all is going well in your life right now, consider stopping right now and thank Him. You are alive - you can choose joy, you can plea for help, you can help someone else, you can choose love, forgiveness and pray.

LORD - thank You for health, healing, and today. Help me live this day with gratitude. Open my eyes to people who need help and then help me to help them. Please bless my family and friends who are struggling. You know what they need. I pray for them right now … IJNIP amen ♥️