The Goodness of God by Natasha Woodcraft

Last month, I wrote a splurge of pain-filled prose about escaping goats and unanswered prayer. I introduced you to my new release “From His Heart to Yours… and back again: Scripture based prayers for Christian Writers” (longest title ever) and encouraged you to journey through Ephesians with me in meditative prayer. Did you?

Book available here

I started, but I must confess I am nowhere near the four-week mark. I’m taking it slowly, finding as I ponder words written by the apostle Paul and words I wrote myself, that I don’t know exactly where mine came from, but they really are quite helpful! New words have flowed from my pen into the journalling pages as I’ve seen goats lost, chased, driven away by tractors and finally (last Saturday) – recovered. It was a long month. If you prayed for the most-prayed-for-goats-in-history then, thank you! I am truly grateful to you.

Lots of other things happened last month too. It was one of those months that felt like a barrage. An attack. I’m sure we’ve all had them. They usually accompany a book release.

Two days before we caught the goats, I was working on the roof with my husband (our 180 year-old house is slightly crumbling, and we’ve had no roof for the past three months). I was in tears, still overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. He pulled me into his arms and started singing The Goodness of God. It just made me cry more. That night, I went to our church’s worship evening. I could barely sing but just sat there listening, weeping and praying. 

On the way home, my usual road was closed. I set off up the only hill in Lincolnshire* and felt a nudge that I should pull in next to the Cathedral at the top. I did so, assuming our prayer time wasn’t quite done. A minute or so later, sirens resounded. Several police cars speed by on the road I’d exited and one even came round the cathedral following a hatchback. I still don’t know exactly what happened, but something did, and I was saved from it.

Lincoln Cathedral, Image by Phil816 from Pixabay

The following day, God answered prayers in a huge way regarding an issue with our bread-and-butter business. The day after that, with the help of a shepherdess and two dogs, we caught the goats.

That’s The Goodness of God! 

I’ve just returned from CRT, feeling slightly starstruck but immensely encouraged. The difficulties facing the publishing and book-retail industry cannot be exaggerated. Alongside the increasing abandonment of books in favour of soundbites, printing costs have risen, bookshops are closing and, rather than being paid to write, most authors are paying to get published. It is tough out there. Tougher than chasing goats and fixing roofs.

Even so, the conference venue filled with people from across the industry lifting their voices: “Still my soul will sing your praise unending; ten thousand years and then forevermore.” We were encouraged to lead well, to continue pressing into Jesus, and to listen to God’s word as it roars like an untameable lion above the voices of the world. 

Image by Alexas_Fotos at pixabay.com

The word is also sweeter than the honey that came from Samson’s lion carcass (Judges 14:18). “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” says the psalmist (Psalm 119:103, NIV).

They are sweet. He is good.

I hope that whatever stage you are at in your writing and/or publishing journey, you can take encouragement from the thought that those leading the industry are committed to “staying faithful in a changing world” which was the tagline at CRT this year.

 

I hope that whatever stage you are at in your spiritual journey, you can take encouragement from these words in Ephesians, ‘Even before he made the world, God loved [you] and chose [you] in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.’ (Ephesians 1:4, NLT)

I’m going to keep praying through His word using my little book, indulging in the Bible’s honey-sweetness. Here’s one prayer to encourage you today, based on Ephesians 1:18: 

My father in heaven,
May the eyes of my heart – the essential centre of my being – 
    be enlightened.
Flood me with Your Holy Spirit
    so I might cherish, with confident expectancy, 
the hope You have called me to.
I have a glorious inheritance in my sisters and brothers [that’s you, ACW family!] 
May I treasure the richness of this calling: 
To dwell with them, 
    encouraging, admonishing and building up,
seeing no other writer as a rival
            but spurring each on to godliness 
                and Spirit-filled living. 
May we write for Your kingdom together, 
    blessing each other.

Amen

God bless you all!

Natasha Woodcraft lives in a slightly crumbling farmhouse in Lincolnshire with her husband, 4 sons and a menagerie of animals. She believes stories have power to communicate deep truth and transform lives. Her published novels, The Wanderer Scorned & The Wanderer Reborn, explore God’s redemptive purposes for messy people by reimagining the tale of Cain & Abel. Her latest release From His Heart to Yours… and back again: Scripture based prayers for Christian Writers is available from all the usual places including her website.

*There are a few more hills in Lincolnshire, but not many, unless you count bridges.