Grateful for Goodness
Psalm 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 106:1
God may hide Himself from us at times; however one thing He cannot hide is His goodness. He leaves traces of it everywhere, from the grand design of nature to the smallest seed. Yet just as quick as the Lord reveals His goodness towards us, we are just as quick to forget them, too often oblivious to the good God does for us.
The Israelites exited Egypt with God’s power parting the Red sea, if that wasn’t enough, God followed as a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.(verse). This picture reveals that God’s goodness even penetrates our basic needs. As the cloud rendered shade and guidance, the fire provided light and warmth. Yet despite this loving display, the Israelites became ungrateful and forgetful of the good the Lord had done.
God shows such loving kindness not because we are deserving of It, it is because of His nature, it is who He is and He cannot change. The names of God show us His goodness touches every aspect of life; He is Provider (Yahweh Jireh), He is God who Heals (Yahweh Rapha), He is our Victor (Yahweh Nissi). This shows us why the Psalmists repeatedly remind us that ‘His mercy endures forever’.
Have you ever missed God’s timing of kindness? I certainly have. What does goodness look like? It blesses, keeps our body and soul healthy, a needed encouragement or song, protection from harm. Where would you find it? It can be visible even to the unlikeliest of places. For example Peter saw the Lord’s goodness in the middle of the storm, Jesus gave Him confidence to walk on unchartered waters and when Peter lost focus on what God had done and was doing in that moment he began to sink. Yet God being good gave Peter a literal hand-up out of the water. Praise God!
Let us not be blind or ignorant to God’s goodness. Too often we miss it, hide ourselves from it, we close the door on it, throw it away like spoilt children, sometimes we even unwrap it wrap it back and return to the Sender. We may not realise or appreciate God’s presence enough; however Psalms 23 tells us “goodness and mercy shall follow me (you) all the days of my life”.
We shrink God to our level and measure good by earthly standards forgetting it should be measured first as it is in Heaven. God tells us His thoughts and ways are immeasurably higher than ours. The Lord Jesus said who is good save God, and Jesus spoke this to remind us that we all fall short of the glory and goodness of God and His loving ways are incomprehensible to us.
Let us live a daily lifestyle of thanking God for being good. Reflecting on the good God has done for us. Let us begin today by saying “God is good all the time and all the time God is…good!”
Prayer :
Father, I thank you for all the good that you have done for me, the kindness that I can see and the good that is hidden from me. I ask that you keep me from forgetfulness, and to help me see your goodness at all times. That I may I may live with a grateful heart that I too can demonstrate boldly love and mercy to others. Help me to taste and see Your eternal goodness in Jesus name.
Amen.
Contributor: Mario Tabois