GOD’S GOODNESS
Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100 (NLT)
Do you understand how good God really is?
Don’t rush past the question, thinking, of course I do, without really thinking about it. You may sing about the goodness of God in a worship service, but how do we even define His goodness? It’s really twofold: He is good in both His character and His actions. God is incapable of evil—He is fundamentally incorruptible just in who He is. We can also see a rich history of His goodness in action as we examine the Scriptures.
But His goodness isn’t limited to the stories we see in the Bible. You’ve experienced His goodness in your own life. Consider James 1:17 (NLT): Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
Everything good you have in your life is because of God, whether you realize it or not. Whether you acknowledge it or not. He is good, blessing us in ways we often overlook or take for granted. And because He is so good in both His nature and His actions, we should worship Him.
Look again at Psalm 100. We’re to shout with joy and worship with gladness. Be honest—does that describe your worship? It’s so easy to worship in a perfunctory, obligatory manner. But this is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He is our Creator, and He is worthy of our worship. And that worship goes far beyond just singing a few songs on a Sunday morning. Worship is the posture of your heart towards God in every facet of your life.
APPLICATION:
If God is really good, we should take our concerns, questions and needs directly to Him. Let us be persistent in our pursuit of the Father. Stop and consider how you have personally witnessed His goodness in your life. Tell Him thank you. Then persist in prayer, petitioning the Prince of Peace to intercede in whatever situation you’re going through.
PRAYER:
Father, You are good. Please help me never to forget this. May my worship be evident in every part of my life. Be magnified and lifted up in my life. Help me in my struggles and help my faith in You to grow. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?