Category: Goodness of God

Posted on

Everlasting

“ Praise the Lord because he is good. His faithful love will last forever.” Psalm 136:1 ERV

He is good and His love is everlasting! Thank you, Father.

I love reading the Psalms. David, who wrote most of them, writes of his life experiences and how he trusted God. He includes his successes and his failures. It was important to him that others could learn by what he had faced.

This morning I was reading Psalm 34 and I read it from several different translations and really wanted to put down the whole chapter here because it is all so good, but I’ll just share the first 8 verses, and you can read the rest in your Bible or an on-line source.

“I will always praise the LORD. 2 With all my heart, I will praise the LORD. Let all who are helpless, listen and be glad. 3 Honor the LORD with me! Celebrate his great name. 4 I asked the LORD for help, and he saved me from all my fears. 5 Keep your eyes on the LORD! You will shine like the sun and never blush with shame. 6 I was a nobody, but I prayed, and the LORD saved me from all my troubles. 7 If you honor the LORD, his angel will protect you. 8 Discover for yourself that the LORD is kind. Come to him for protection, and you will be glad.” Psalm 34:1-8 CEV

Notice how the word LORD is in all caps.

The name “LORD” meant all that God is – all of His attributes and power. We praise the LORD because there is no one greater; we look to the LORD because there is no one with more power and wisdom; we honor the LORD because there is no one that deserves more reverence or respect. We discover the LORD and find that He is all loving, kind, good, merciful and gracious.

David is writing about his fears, his needs, times of distress; not just for him but for all of us, no matter how humble or common others consider us. Helpless, fearful, of low reputation it does not matter to the LORD. He will answer those who call on Him from an honest heart.

“From far away, the Lord will appear to his people. The Lord says, “I love you people with a love that continues forever. That is why I have continued showing you kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 ERV

Forever isn’t over yet. God’s love is everlasting, it is still in effect today.

Take time with the LORD and let Him reveal to you that He is and can be all you need.

He is good!

Posted on

It’s All Good

Yesterday I had a regular check up with the doctor. When we came to the end of the exam he said, “It’s all good, I won’t need to see you for another year”. I like those words.

It’s All Good.

Yet, this morning as I sat here thinking about the second part of that phrase “I won’t need to see you for another year” it made me sad. Not sad because I won’t be seeing the doctor, I’m glad of that, but sad because that’s how so many think of their relationship with the Father.

When He walks us through the tough times and we find ourselves on the other side of the adversity some find it easy to go back to their regular routine which doesn’t include as much time with the Lord. It’s that time with the Lord that brings us to the good life.

“We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan.” Romans 8:28 ERV

Yesterday I ended with Jesus telling his disciples that He is the good shepherd. Amen!

“The sheep know their shepherd’s voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out. 4 When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice…14  I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. 15  Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep.” John 10:3-4,14-15 CEV 

I love this analogy. Sheep following a shepherd. King David used it as well when he wrote Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He makes me lay down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.”

A good shepherd, our Good Shepherd leads us and feeds us. He brings us to a place of rest, and he also cares for us in the presence of our enemies. It’s a daily leading. If sheep are left to themselves in a pasture they will eat the grass to the ground and then colic because they ingest the soil. They need to be led each day, making sure they are still well fed and safe.

“Show me your faithful love this morning. I trust in you. Show me what I should do. I put my life in your hands! 9 Lord, I come to you for protection. Save me from my enemies. 10 Show me what you want me to do. You are my God. Let your good Spirit lead me over level ground.” Psalm 143:8-10 ERV

It’s wonderful to know that the Father is there every morning to show us His love. Every morning. He protects and leads. Holy Spirit is a good leader.

I was so pleased to hear my doctor say all is good, I’ll see you next year but I am more delighted to hear my Father say, “all is well and I’m here to show you my faithful love this morning and each day that follows”.

Posted on

Good Courage

None of us know what this year of 2025 has in store. There will be challenges, I’m sure of that. There will also be great blessings, I am also sure of that.

“ Praise the Lord because he is good! His faithful love will last forever!” Psalm 118:1 ERV

“Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.” Psalm 118:1 CEV

Same verse, different translations but the meaning is clear. We are to be thankful because God is always good; His love lasts forever.

So many times throughout the Bible God gives this instruction. Fear not – and it’s often followed by these words, “Be of good courage”.

Good courage. This is courage in God’s ability and not in our own. When we are trusting in His goodness we can face any situation with courage. This is the instruction Joshua received from Moses shortly before Moses died. Joshua had been selected as his successor in leading the Israelites into the promised land.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.” Deuteronomy 31:6-7 NKJV

Be strong – in faith. Knowing God’s word gives us that strength. We can trust Him, knowing He will keep His word. God doesn’t lie.

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” Numbers 23:19 CEV (written by Moses)

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV (written by King David)

Both of these men faced some of life’s biggest obstacles and greatest challenges. God promised them His goodness and His strength. The promise made in Deuteronomy is used in Hebrews also.

“ Keep your lives free from the love of money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you or let you be alone.” Hebrews 13:5 NLV

We have a tendency to look at the financial economy of our lives instead of the spiritual. The writer of Hebrews wanted us to see that instead of putting our confidence in money we should be placing it in the One who has promised to never leave us or abandon us.

“ Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 7:31-33 CEV

Now that’s good courage!

Posted on

Taste and See

Did you see the goodness of God yesterday? Were you safe on the highway? Did you receive a little expression of kindness unexpectedly? Was there something special to make you smile?

Those are expressions of God’s goodness.

As I was preparing to share with you this morning, I remembered something that my dad would often say. “The only way you can ruin a pie is to cut it. Just give me a fork and let me enjoy the whole thing.” We’d laughed but somehow we always knew if we had given him that fork and the pie he would have finished it all. He loved my mom’s pies.

That’s my lead in to today’s verse on the goodness of God.

“O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8 AMPC

Taste and see how good God is.

The goodness of God is tangible. It’s something we can sense, something we can experience and it is good – so good.

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:5-6 NLT

King David said the Lord’s provision was like a feast, and that goodness and mercy (unfailing love) were in hot pursuit of us all the days of our lives.

The goodness of God provided manna from heaven for the Israelites in the wilderness. The goodness of God multiplied the loaves and the fishes from the little boy’s lunch. The goodness of God turned water into wine at the wedding of Canaan.

The goodness of God is tangible.

The goodness of God said to the thief on the cross “today you will be with me in paradise”. God wants us to know, to taste, to experience His goodness.

“How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. 20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them.
You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.” Psalm 31:19-20 NLT

My prayer is that we all will know more of God’s goodness this year.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress