“What is there to love about God?” That is the question we have been exploring in the previous couple of blogs. We have looked at Psalms 23 and 103, both attributed to King David. In those magnificent works he has told us many things about God and why we should love Him.
We explore our question today by considering some words about God from Psalm 100, a psalm not specifically identified with David’s writing. However, looking at what is being said here about the Lord will lead you to conclude that David would agree wholeheartedly with how God is described.
Psalm 100 is an invitation to praise the Lord with joyful singing, “Come before Him with joyful singing.” (verse 2). Verse 4 tells us to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, give thanks to Him and bless His name.”
The writer knows something about God that should cause us to want to love Him and honor Him with grateful praise. The psalmist’s personal experiences with God have revealed something about the character of God that will help us feel safe in the crazy and turbulent times in which we live. Grasping and holding on to this truth is crucial to our faith walk with Him. And, what is that truth?
Verse 5 tells us, “For the Lord is good. His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness is to all generations.”
Recently I reached out to the family of a neighbor who was undergoing a delicate heart procedure. The reply was, “Everything went well, God is good!” I celebrated with this family for this good result but I have some questions for us to ponder, “What if things don’t go as we want? What if God doesn’t give us what we pray for?” What does that do to alter our opinion about God? In the particular situation I just referenced, I believe these folks would still say, “God is good.”
Life has its ups and downs. I certainly like the easy times better than the hard ones, but does what I like or don’t like about my particular circumstances change the character of God? If you don’t have this issue of God’s goodness settled as a matter of your faith, life will “do a number” on your emotions and destroy your prayer life. James 1: 6-8 tells us that doubting God’s goodness makes us unstable like the “surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” He further says, ” Let not that man expect to receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Thinking of this triggers memories of a good man who helped me as I was completing my pastoral counseling training years ago. He had recently retired from a long, distinguished career at a major university when he was diagnosed with cancer. During his struggle with this dreaded disease, someone who recognized his godly work and character asked, “Why you?” His simple reply,”Why not me?” What did this attitude say about this man and his view of God? While talking about his struggle with me he said he had come to one conclusion, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Satan’s voice and actions are all around us in our journey toward heaven. We struggle to understand why God allows so much chaos and evil to seemingly go unchecked and unpunished. The Middle East is a powderkeg, several universities are disrupted by unruly protests, our economy is in retreat, lawlessness and crime are rampant, police are being murdered as they try to do their job, and our borders are an open door to those who want to come here illegally.
I don’t know why God allows all this to happen but I trust that He is good and just and that He is at work in all this chaos. He turned chaos into order in the creation and I’m confident He can and will do it again. Not only do I believe that God is good,He is also sovereign. When the time is right, He will bring all this chaos to an end and will establish His kingdom here on earth.
God is good and He works for the good of all who love Him. We don’t always see or recognize what God allows as good for us. The truth is that cancer, dementia, and other types of illness are not good. They come to us as being part of a fallen human race. But God is good in the midst of the bad that comes to us and He will, if we cooperate, use the bad for our growth and character. This is what Romans 8:28-29 tells us, ” And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.”
God is good and He wants only what is best for you and me. He is much more interested in our character than our comfort. He loves us so much that sometimes He chooses to not spare us hard times so that we could grow and learn to love and trust Him more. So, hang on to this truth, “God is good, He loves you and is working in everything in your life to help you become the person He wants you to be.”
God is for you and not against you. He loves you and wants the best for you. Because He is good, you can trust Him with your live and whatever challenges you may face. He will hear your prayer and work with you to accomplish His will in your life.