Soul Scientist

Psalm 31:19 ESVUK. Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind

My first rule of church potlucks is to always wear overalls, loose fitting jeans, or a jumper style dress with pockets.

The loose-fitting waist of my outfit is essential for eating to my heart’s content of the abundant goodness. The machine-washable material doesn’t demand me to always be nervous of what I drop on my clothes in the process of eating abundant goodness. The pockets are key for carrying utensils, napkins, and cookies or biscuits with hands full of plates of incredibly edible abundant goodness.

Speaking of God’s abundant goodness poured out on us, did you know the following?

1. Every single day the Earth receives enough sunlight energy to power all of the energy needs for all of the Earth’s people for a year. Granted, not all of this energy is harnessed in usable form but it is there available to us. Independent of weather, season, time, or location here on Earth, the sun hangs in the sky emitting light to power our world, day after day. We have no influence on the sun, yet it influences nearly every single part of our days and our world. Abundant goodness.
2. Most plants only perform at 1-10% of their maximum photosynthetic potential. Because of limiting factors such as plant available water and nutrients, space, weed or disease pressure, weather, and others, even the most vigorous of plants aren’t performing at maximum potential. The genetic capability is there if the factors weren’t limiting, as hinted at with research done in ideal laboratory or greenhouse conditions. Thus, much plant research is targeted to utilize the potential by maximizing genetics and growing conditions as much as possible large-scale. Abundant goodness

That’s just 2 examples out of hundreds and thousands more ways we know of how our Good God has crafted our world for His glory and the good of His people.¹

God has provided the stored-up way-more-than-enough of life essentials for us here on Earth. He has perfectly fine-tuned Earth’s timing, location, position, type, and every detail for life to flourish – be it physically or spiritually. Abundant goodness

Knowing this, I must ask myself, why do I often fail to recognize God’s abundant goodness in my own life every single day?

Because I am only living in trusting obedience in 1-10% of the maximum potential of that mustard seed faith planted in the garden of my heart (see Matthew 17:20).

This limitation is my own lack of belief, not the limitations of circumstances in my life. I say this because (unlike plants) my faith has grown faster and deeper in challenging times of pain, grief, and loss than the expected easy of the everyday I think I deserve.

Those potluck days of feasting on blessings in tangible form are delightful and desirable. Yet those days only emphasize what I’ve gleaned from the hard work of faith in days spent in fields ripe with suffering (see Hebrews 5:8 and James 1:2-8). Similar evidence of vigorous faith can be seen in the persecuted church world-wide growing at faster rates than those living with plenty without persecution. Only the recognition of and reliance on our Good God’s every-present abundant goodness is strong enough to overcome suffering and thrive in its midst.

I am my greatest limitation to a growing faith.

My own self that nurtures undying selfish arrogance which can choke out gratitude, courage, hope, and joy by refusing to receive, much less rely on, God’s goodness (see Psalm 37:5 and 52:8). My own self that persists in doing what isn’t good instead of what is good (see Romans 7:18). I can’t defeat these and the more doubts, fears, and regrets that I wish weren’t in me.

Only God can overcome these in His abundant goodness. He alone can open my eyes to see continual reminders of His abundant goodness evident in His creation and assure me that He will keep blessing me, too. Hallelujah! God knows my limits, loves me still, and keeps wooing me to Him with that same abundant goodness He has stored up.

This was part 1 of a series on seeing God’s abundant goodness in and for our lives. Please make sure and return (with a friend or 3) for the next post on this next week.

¹ We know many more examples in our every day that point straight to our Good God and His tender care of us and the rest of creation. Yet, the most beautiful and significant example of God’s love lavished upon us is His gift of Jesus for our redemption from sin (see 1 John 3:1, John 3:16, and 2 Corinthians 5:21). And even more wonderful yet is that none of us can ever fully know (much less understand) all this as we are not (nor ever will be) God.

Written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2026.