Ps 107:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
God’s goodness is a foundation for our lives!
Psalm 145 is a perfect Acrostic Psalm (with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet beginning each verse including verse 13b)
I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
5 They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
Theme of Ps 145: Seven of God’s most amazing qualities:
1. The Lord is great (vs. 3-7)
2. The Lord is gracious and compassionate (vs. 8)
3. The Lord is good (vs. 9-13a)
4. The Lord is faithful (vs. 13b-16)
5. The Lord is righteous (vs. 17)
6. The Lord is near (vs. 18-19)
7. The Lord is watching (vs. 20)
Ps 145:9, “The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
God is often seen as the author of evil, pain, and suffering. I’ll address those things in this series. But it’s so very important that our starting point is the fact that God is good to all!
Remember: God BIG, devil small / God GOOD, devil bad!
Scriptures on God’s goodness to all people:
Matthew 5:45, “[God] causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
(Context: love enemies, pray for persecutors, be children of your father)
The Lord is good to all!
Matthew 7:9-11, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?” (ask is in the genitive case = persistence)
Evil = the potential for behaviour that is less than kind; cause pain to; not always as good as you could be.
If you’re like that how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?”
Jesus encourages us to live with the expectation of good because God is good. And not just expecting BIG good things, but also looking for God’s goodness in every detail of our day…
St Patrick’s Prayer ~ the morning prayer (written 1600 years ago)
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendour of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
Afar and a near,
Alone or in a multitude.
Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation.
Now, there’s a man who knew what it was to live with the expectation of good, even in the dark and difficult times of life.
All good things in your life are ultimately from God…
James 1:16-17, “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows”
And even bad things in people’s lives God will turn around for good for those who love Him…
Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Let’s finish where we started, with Psalm 107:
Psalm 107:1-2,
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, (NIV, tell their story)
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
Discussion Questions
Share together examples of God’s goodness that you have experienced.
Discuss: “God’s goodness is a foundation for our lives!”
How can you see God’s goodness in every detail of your day?
How can this statement impact your life? “even bad things in my life God can turn around for good because I love Him.” Consider Romans 8:28 and Genesis 50:20 (the story of Joseph).
“God’s presence always shows up when His people recognize His goodness.” Read the 2 Chronicles 5 account of the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, and note what happens when they declare the goodness of God.
Why do you think it’s God’s goodness that leads people to repentance? (Romans 2:4).
Revisit St Patrick’s Morning Prayer. (You may want to spend some time in contemplative prayer and sit in the presence of your very Good God. Listen to Lisa Kelly’s song based on this prayer ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34DVkdZAIw4)