My wife recently told me that she hesitates to share good things or proclaim them publicly in her life because she doesn't want to be seen as bragging.

I understand the sentiment, and I also know of folks who do it primarily to project success and strength. However, I have a different view of it.

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13 (KJV)

Many Christians like to preach about getting saved and having our sins forgiven through the Blood of Christ so that we all go to heaven in the afterlife. It never resonated with me because I prefer to focus on Jesus being with me today than in the afterlife.

I have openly shared with my friends and family since the COVID-19 pandemic that the biggest epidemic in our generation is loneliness, despite being the most connected people in any era. 

Governments are stepping in to create a "Ministry of Loneliness" or strategies to tackle this problem:

• United Kingdom (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/loneliness-minister-its-more-important-than-ever-to-take-action)
• Japan (https://www.dw.com/en/japan-minister-of-loneliness-tackles-mental-health-crisis/a-57311880)
• Germany (https://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/meta/en/publications-en/german-federal-government-s-strategy-to-counter-loneliness-248224)

It was unheard of when I was growing up.

Suicide rates, young people who began to excommunicate themselves from society because of the lack of hope, have risen steadily over the years.

Thus, it is essential to show the goodness of the Lord in the land of living, to present hope so that it is worth living this life.

"The Ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

Now it was told King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the Ark of God." So David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness."  2 Samuel 6:-11-12 (NKJV)

In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant represents God's presence in Israel. When God allowed his Ark to be captured by the Philistines, it meant that His Glory departed from Israel because of sins. (1 Samuel 4:21-22)

Through Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, our sins are eternally forgiven, and through the Blood of Christ, we are brought near to the commonwealth of Israel and the covenants of promise. (Ephesians 2:12-13)

Jesus' other name is also Immanuel, which is translated as "God with us." (Matthew 1:23) 

Why should I deny the good things in my life to appear humble when it is more important to be a testimony of His goodness and grace so that others can have the same hope?

And the only requirement to receive the blessings of God is to believe and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is not my own power or godliness that I received blessings from God, but from the Blood of Christ because of the forgiveness of sins.

Provocation and Jealousy Concerns

When the Lord is in your life, and He blesses you because of His presence, there are only two responses to it.

You either marvel about it and want to know more to receive the same blessing, or you are provoked to jealousy.

"Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

The man began to prosper, and continued propsering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him." Genesis 26:12-14 (KJV)

The Philistines saw how God blessed Isaac, and they envied him. However, when David saw how God blessed Obed-Edom, he rejoiced and made sure to invite the Presence of God into the City of David so that everyone could enjoy the blessings.

As far as I'm concerned, I prefer to worship a living God and face accusations of pride than to scrape by life and not have a hope to live. The Lord can deal with my pride anytime, but the stones will cry out if I deny His goodness (Luke 19:40).

Hope Is Critical For A Life Worth Living

The Lord has answered every prayer of mine. Not everything is a 'Yes' because I asked for stupid things before, but He has given me His response and reasons for every prayer. 

Most of the time, it is a "Yes".

It is important not to sugarcoat God's responses if it does not happen your way. "Maybe it is God's will not to have this or that" is not a good response because He is not an idol who cannot speak, hear, or walk (Psalm 135:15-18). I received distinct impressions from the Lord for my prayers, and I knew He was guiding me.

I was pretty interested in gaming when I was fourteen, and I came across Gamespot.com. I spoke out loud that I wanted to work in the company. 

At the age of twenty-six, I joined CBS Interactive in Singapore (now defunct, having merged with Viacom to become Paramount Global at the time of this writing), and I realized that I had joined a company that owned Gamespot.com.

At the age of thirty, I began asking the Lord if I could have my first international business trip. I'm skipping significant details in this journey because it is lengthy, but shortly after, I had my first international business trip to San Francisco.

At the age of thirty, I began to lament that I was still living in my parents' house and longed to live on my own, seeking independence. Growing up in an Asian household in Singapore, we typically live with our parents until the time for marriage, or at thirty-five, when we can secure a government-sponsored apartment.

I spoke with the Lord about it, and I received the opportunity to relocate to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for work. I was thirty-two.

Fast forward a few years, there were openings in PlayStation, and I prayed to get in.

The first interview I had with PlayStation was a flop. I wanted a managerial role, but the hiring manager only offered an individual contributor role. I rejected the offer because I know that I can set a value to my work as part of being in a royal priesthood in Christ. (Leviticus 12:14, 1 Peter 2:9)

I learned from the Lord that you don't have to accept every rejection at face value. Immediately after the rejection, I took the Holy Communion with my wife and prayed that I would have favor with PlayStation and with every company I had interviewed with.

Fast-forward to the end of that year, another opening in PlayStation came around, and I applied for it along with other companies.

I had two offers on the table: one from Nike and another from PlayStation. After completing the interview process over three months, I selected PlayStation. My sister commented that it was my dream job, given how much I was into gaming when I was young.

How on earth am I supposed to keep silent for the goodness of the Lord in my life? The stones will cry out if I stay quiet.

I have no regrets in this life at this current juncture. I am living a fulfilling life. I'm not a multi-millionaire at the point of this writing, and I don't drive fancy cars. 

I'm happy and fulfilled because I see the goodness of the Lord in my life, and I enjoy His Word and promises fulfilled in my life in a very real manner.

I feel the need to repeat this, but I am not blessed because I am spiritual or I have my own godliness. It is not because I study the Word of God faithfully or because I did anything.

I am blessed because of the Blood of Christ through the forgiveness of sins. Out of the forgiveness of sins, God saw fit to intervene in my life, and He made His Presence known to me. I merely responded to His Presence accordingly, and His blessings flowed.

The blessings that I receive are not exclusive to me. Whoever is willing to receive the Lord can receive much more than I did.

My son needs to experience the loving-kindness of the Lord, as I did, so that he may have a life worth living. I determined to inspire hope in the Lord in my son's heart that my son would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.