250. Goodness and Prosperity
Jeremiah 33:9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.
The Lord promises that the Church will be to Him a name of joy, a praise and an honor. The city is the invisible Church, the people of God who are believers in Christ. That includes us. We are made by God to be a joy, a praise and an honor. And the entire world will see it and hear through the church about God doing good for them. This prophecy has come true: the people of God throughout the world are a witness to a good God who has done good things.
When the nations, the world’s people, hear they will fear and tremble, that is, come to deeply appreciate and strongly believe in a good God. They will see the promise of God coming into effect: the Lord will procure goodness and prosperity. This is a promise we can each believe and take to heart: God promises goodness and prosperity. He has procured this goodness and prosperity for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has purchased and won me from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil.
“Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever [Psalm 23:6].” Spiritual goodness goes with me as long as I am living in a sinful and dangerous world. Spiritual prosperity and riches are constantly accessible to the believer while he is alive on earth. And furthermore, this spiritual goodness and prosperity follows us into eternity when we die, and then the spiritual goodness and riches become real, alive, tangible, physical and visual in the resurrection of the body for eternity. God’s story (His-story) is recorded in the Word for us to receive and enjoy the promise of goodness and prosperity. We hear this promise from God and we believe it; we have it and we enjoy it every day.