Join the Chorus

July 28, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
²Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!

³Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
⁴Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

⁵Let them praise the name of the LORD!
For he commanded and they were created.
⁶And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

⁷Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
⁸fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!

⁹Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
¹⁰Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!

¹¹Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
¹²Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!

¹³Let them praise the name of the LORD,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his majesty is above earth and heaven.
¹⁴He has raised up a horn for his people,
    praise for all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the LORD! – Psalm 148:1-14 ESV

This is the third in a series of five psalms that close the psalter and share the theme of praise for the goodness and greatness of Yahweh. In this psalm, the author focuses his attention on Yahweh’s role as the Creator God. He begins his song by calling on the residents of the heavenly realm to join in praising the LORD.

Praise the LORD from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all the armies of heaven! – Psalm 148:1-2 NLT

If this psalm was written after the exiles returned to Jerusalem after their 70-year-long captivity in Babylon, the author was likely familiar with the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah before Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. This was a time of great spiritual apostasy in the land of Judah, and Yahweh used prophets like Isaiah and Micah to call His chosen people to repentance or face certain destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. As part of his prophetic ministry, Isaiah was given the privilege of seeing a vision of Yahweh in His heavenly throneroom surrounded by the angelic host.

I saw the LORD. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!” – Isaiah 6:1-3 NLT

This fascinating scene must have struck a chord with the psalmist as he considered the glory of Yahweh and tried to imagine the angels in heaven responding to the grandeur of His presence. There is no idolatry in heaven. No one is worshiping false gods or tempted to share their adoration and allegiance to anyone other than Yahweh, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. The angels enjoy the all-pervasive presence of Yahweh and are privileged to bask in the light of His undiminished glory.

The apostle John was given a similar vision of the heavenly throne, and he did his best to describe what he saw in the Book of Revelation.

Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God.In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.

In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” – Revelation 4:1-8 NLT

The psalmist imagined the sun, moon, and stars joining in the chorus of voices lifting their song of praise to the One who created them.

Praise him, sun and moon!
    Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
Praise him, skies above!
    Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
Let every created thing give praise to the LORD,
    for he issued his command, and they came into being. – Psalm 148:3-5 NLT

Yahweh deserved the praise of His creation because He alone was responsible for their existence. “He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked” (Psalm 148:6 NLT). Yahweh was their creator and sustainer; He spoke and they appeared, and He guarantees their continued existence.

The psalmist personifies the planets, stars, and clouds participating in the never-ending praise of Yahweh. In one of his psalms, David wrote of the heavens declaring God’s glory without the need for words, and yet their message was loud and clear.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth… – Psalm 19:1-4 NLT

During His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus painted a similar image when He addressed the Jewish religious leaders who demanded that He order the adoring crowds to stop praising Him.

When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” – Luke 19:36-60 NLT

The inanimate stones would burst into cheers because God deserves glory. His creation can’t help but echo His glory and greatness because they are a byproduct of His power. The same is true of God’s people. As Paul told the believers in Ephesus, “We are his workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10 ESV). The apostle Peter reminds us that we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 BSB).

The psalmist shared Peter’s view and called his contemporaries to join in the chorus of praise to Yahweh. Their voices would join the rest of creation in declaring Yahweh’s greatness and goodness to the ends of the earth.

Praise the LORD from the earth,
    you creatures of the ocean depths,
fire and hail, snow and clouds,
    wind and weather that obey him,
mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all livestock,
    small scurrying animals and birds,
kings of the earth and all people,
    rulers and judges of the earth,
young men and young women,
    old men and children. – Psalm 148:7-12 NLT

From the psalmist’s perspective, the praise of Yahweh was not an option or a choice; it was the natural response of the creative order. According to His own assessment, all that Yahweh made was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). His creation was a reflection of His power, holiness, creativity, goodness, and grace. Everything He made was an extension of His character and intended to echo His glory. This is what leads the psalmist to demand that his audience lead the chorus of praises to Yahweh.

Let them all praise the name of the LORD.
    For his name is very great;
    his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
He has made his people strong,
    honoring his faithful ones—
    the people of Israel who are close to him.

Praise the LORD! – Psalm 148:13-14 NLT

As the chosen people of God, they owed Him their praise, adoration, sold-out commitment, willing obedience, and unbridled worship.

This psalm reminds us of just how great a God we serve. He is not a mere concept or force, but a being of immense power and intelligence. He is a loving creator who made all that we see by simply speaking it into existence, and He sustains it all with ease. When we consider the immensity of God, it seems ludicrous to trust in men. God alone has the power to rescue, redeem, and restore. He brings healing to the brokenhearted, sight to the blind, support to the fatherless and widows, food for the hungry, freedom to the captives, support to the afflicted, and favor to those who fear Him. As followers of Christ, those phrases should sound familiar. On a visit to His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus stood in the synagogue and read the following words from Isaiah chapter 61: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” (Luke 4:18-19 NLT). Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God’s grace and mercy. He is the honest answer to oppression, illness, disease, inequity, spiritual blindness, hunger, affliction, fear, and even death.

God does not offer just temporary relief from life’s cares and concerns; He offers eternal salvation from the rule of sin and the penalty of death. He has provided a way for men to be restored to a right relationship with Him, despite their sin and rebellion against Him. He has made possible a way to remedy the results of the fall and restore mankind and the earth to their former glory. He not only created the world and all it contains, but He will one day recreate and restore it to the way it was intended to be all along. Only God can do that. Any attempts by man to improve the earth and our lives on it are fleeting and temporary.

In many cases, our attempts at improvement have resulted in greater devastation. From nuclear power that resulted in nuclear weapons to the combustion engine that has polluted our atmosphere, every “improvement” by man has ended up having a negative impact. God alone is our salvation. He alone has the power to provide us with hope and healing. So the Psalmist reminds us to praise Him. From the oldest to the youngest, the rich to the poor, the wealthy to the needy – everyone and everything should praise the Lord. “Let them all praise the name of the LORD. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!” (Psalm 148:13 NLT).

Father, only You are worthy of our praise. Only You have the capacity to do anything about our neediness and hopelessness. I can praise You even before You answer because I know You will – You always do. You have sent Your Son as the answer to every single one of our problems and as the solution to all that’s wrong with our planet and the people who occupy it. Even as I read the news this morning I am amazed at all that is wrong in our world. Earthquakes, riots, rebellions, murders, genocide, war, hatred, greed, and immorality of all kinds. But I can praise You because one day You are going to make all this right. You are going to restore Your creation to the way it was meant to be. And even in the midst of all this, You have given me hope through Jesus Christ, Your Son. He is the ultimate expression of Your favor to man. So I praise You! Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Longing For God’s Presence, Not Just Deliverance

July 23, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

A Psalm of David.

¹Hear my prayer, O LORD;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
²Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous before you.

³For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground;
    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
⁴Therefore my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

⁵I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
⁶I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

⁷Answer me quickly, O LORD!
    My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD!
    I have fled to you for refuge.
¹⁰Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!

¹¹For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life!
    In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
¹²And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your servant. – Psalm 143:1-12 ESV

In this penitential psalm, David juxtaposes Yahweh’s righteousness with his own, and concludes there is no comparison. He states, “No one living is righteous before you” (Psalm 142:1 ESV), a conclusion he reached in a previous psalm.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one. – Psalm 14:2-3 ESV

This sentiment regarding man’s unrighteous status before God was picked up by David’s son, Solomon, who included it in the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

The prophets would also echo this theme, doing so with the full authority and backing of Yahweh.

We are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
    and our sins sweep us away like the wind. – Issaiah 64:6 NLT

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?” – Jeremiah 17:9 NLT

This rather bleak assessment of humanity’s moral state did not depress David; it provided him with a much-needed reminder of his inadequacy and insufficiency in comparison to Yahweh’s spiritual superiority and sovereignty. David needed Yahweh, not the other way around. He knew he brought nothing of value to the relationship, but was utterly dependent upon Yahweh’s mercy, grace, and favor.

It is unclear when this psalm was written, but it contains not-so-subtle hints. David’s reference to being chased and forced “to live in darkness like those in the grave” (Psalm 143:3 NLT) points to the years he spent running from Saul and hiding in caves in the Judean wilderness. In those moments of distress, as he lay in the darkened recesses of his remote hideaway, David reflected on the stories of Yahweh’s deliverance of His covenant people.

I remember the days of old.
I ponder all your great works
and think about what you have done. – Psalm 143:5 NLT

His recounting of those stories from Israel’s past reminded him that Yahweh was faithful and righteous. Despite Israel’s disobedience and unfaithfulness, Yahweh remained committed to His covenant promises. He would not abandon or give up on them, a point that David took to heart and used to motivate his prayer life.

I lift my hands to you in prayer.
I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. – Psalm 143:6 NLT

David goes on to express his belief that Yahweh will not only hear his prayer but respond.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust. – Psalm 143:8 ESV

Years later, the prophet Jeremiah, while suffering his own crisis of faith, would remind himself of Yahweh’s faithful, never-failing love.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.” – Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV

David and Jeremiah both put their trust in Yahweh. They believed He would come through in the end, and while they prayed for deliverance from their difficulties, they recognized that their suffering was a means of getting to know Yahweh better. David put it this way:

Rescue me from my enemies, LORD;
I run to you to hide me.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God. – Psalm 143:9-10 NLT

Jeremiah shared David’s belief that suffering was a tool Yahweh used to teach His people to trust Him.

For no one is abandoned
    by the LORD forever.
Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
    because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
For he does not enjoy hurting people
    or causing them sorrow. – Lamentations 3:31-33 NLT

As the Proverb states, “The LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12 NLT). Yahweh’s greatest desire for His children is their holiness, which may require that they forego happiness for a while so they may find their help and hope in Him. The apostle Paul also shared David’s outlook on trusting God even amid the trials and tribulations of life.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT

David didn’t shy away from asking for deliverance from his difficulties, but he knew that there were lessons to be learned in the midst of them.

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing.
For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life.
Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress. – Psalm 143:10-11 NLT

David wasn’t necessarily asking for a trouble-free life; he was asking for proof of Yahweh’s faithfulness. He knew trials were a part of living in a fallen world, but as a child of God, he fully expected His Father to rescue and preserve his life. Whether his suffering was a result of his own sin or that of another, David believed it would be for his good and Yahweh’s glory.

This psalm raises an interesting aspect about prayer. When we pray, we often express to God what we want done. We share what we believe to be the solutions to our problems and demand that He oblige our request. In many cases, we treat God as a kind of cosmic Genie in the sky, except this Genie doesn’t limit our wishes to just three. We can go to Him constantly with requests of all kinds, or so it would seem. But the reality is that prayer requires an understanding of who God is and what His character is like. To ask God to do something that is not in His nature or that goes against His will would be absurd, but we do it all the same. God wants us to express our needs to Him, but it seems unlikely that he requires our help when it comes to a solution.

Our prayers should be an expression of our trust and dependence on God. We go to Him because we know that He is the only one who can help. And He will help, but on His own terms and according to His perfect timing.

In this psalm, David prays openly and honestly to God. He shares that he is surrounded by enemies. He tells God about his struggle with depression and being paralyzed by fear, and asks God to rescue him. He wants Yahweh to preserve his life and deliver him from his distress. He even urges Yahweh to silence his enemies and destroy all his foes. But David seems to keep His requests consistent with his understanding of Yahweh’s character. He appealed to Yahweh’s mercy, and pleads for Him to answer because he knows Yahweh to be faithful and righteous. David understood that nothing he asked of God was too great for Him, because he had heard about all the great things God had done in the past. He knew Yahweh was loving and would listen to him when he called to Him.

David asks Yahweh, “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting in you” (Psalm 143:8 NLT). What an interesting choice of words. He seems to be asking God to preserve him through the night and cause him to wake up to a renewed recognition of God’s unfailing love and mercy. He will “hear” of God’s love each morning. This seems to indicate that David believed Yahweh’s deliverance would be the talk of the town. Others would be talking about it because Yahweh’s intervention in David’s life would be visible for all to see. Their conclusion would be that David’s miraculous deliverance was a “God-thing.”

David doesn’t just ask Yahweh for deliverance; he asks for directions.

Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you. – Psalm 143:8 NLT

He isn’t asking for travel directions; he is requesting insight into how to live his life in a way that will be pleasing to Yahweh. He wants to know how to be a good king, a righteous father, and a godly husband. He goes on to ask God, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing” (Psalm 143:10 NLT). He wants Yahweh to train him to obey. David wasn’t just asking God to deliver him from difficulty; he was expressing his desire to live a life that was pleasing to God. He wanted to live in obedience to and dependence on God.

Is that our desire? Is that what we pray and long for? David wanted rescue so that he could serve God. He sought relief from trials and troubles, so he could spend more time worshiping and less time worrying. But he also knew that Yahweh would use those very same trials and hardships to reveal Himself as He displayed His power, presence, love, mercy, and faithfulness. David trusted God. Do we?

Father, it is so easy for me to just come to You with my requests, but fail to want to get to know You. I want to hear of your unfailing love every morning. I want to wake up to a renewed realization of Your mercy and grace each day. I want You to teach me to do Your will, not mine. I want You to show me how to live my life in increasing obedience and dependence on You. You could give me all I ask for, but if I miss out on knowing You, I lose. Amen

The LORD is for Us

June 22, 2025June 23, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

²Let Israel say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”
³Let the house of Aaron say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”
⁴Let those who fear the LORD say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”

⁵Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
    the LORD answered me and set me free.
⁶The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
    What can man do to me?
⁷The LORD is on my side as my helper;
    I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
⁹It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

¹⁰All nations surrounded me;
    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
¹¹They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
¹²They surrounded me like bees;
    they went out like a fire among thorns;
    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
¹³I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
    but the LORD helped me.

¹⁴The LORD is my strength and my song;
    he has become my salvation.
¹⁵Glad songs of salvation
    are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,
¹⁶    the right hand of the LORD exalts,
    the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

¹⁷I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
¹⁸The LORD has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness,
    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the LORD.
²⁰This is the gate of the LORD;
    the righteous shall enter through it.
²¹I thank you that you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.
²²The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.
²³This is the LORD‘s doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴This is the day that the LORD has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵Save us, we pray, O LORD!
O LORD, we pray, give us success!

²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
    We bless you from the house of the LORD.
²⁷The LORD is God,
    and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
    up to the horns of the altar!

²⁸You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
²⁹Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! – Psalm 118:1-29 ESV

This is the final psalm in the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), a section of the psalter focused on the praise of Yahweh. The repetitive use of the Hebrew word hālal, from which the English word hallelujah is derived, is why these six psalms are closely linked. These psalms contain references to the Exodus account, which led to their being called the Egyptian Hallel.

“As the final psalm of the ‘Egyptian Hallel’, sung to celebrate the Passover . . ., this psalm may have pictured to those who first sang it the rescue of Israel at the Exodus, and the eventual journey’s end at Mount Zion. But it was destined to be fulfilled more perfectly, as the echoes of it on Palm Sunday and in the Passion Week make clear to every reader of the Gospels.” – Derek Kidner, Psalms 73—150. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series, pp. 412-13.

It is interesting to note that the word hālal appears nowhere in Psalm 118. Yet, it is considered the final of the Hallel Psalms. There is little doubt that the unidentified author of this psalm intended his song to praise Yahweh, but he chose to use a different word to convey his sentiments.

Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD. – Psalm 118:19 ESV

He uses the illiterative phrase yāḏâ yâ, which can be translated as “praise Yahweh.” Yâ is the contracted version of Yᵊhōvâ, and yāḏâ conveys the idea of thanksgiving as a form of praise for all that Yahweh has done.

The psalmist opens his song with the words “yāḏâ Yᵊhōvâ” and provides the reason for his imperative.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 118:1 NLT

Four times in as many verses, he repeats the phrase, “His faithful love endures forever.” He then spends the following 28 verses extolling the myriad ways Yahweh has proven His goodness and unfailing love. He begins with a personal testimony of Yahweh’s gracious activity in his own life.

In my distress I prayed to the LORD,
and the LORD answered me and set me free. – Psalm 118:5 NLT

While the psalmist’s name remains a mystery and the nature of his distress is unclear, he leaves little doubt that his circumstances were less than ideal.

…hostile nations surrounded me. – vs 10 NLT

…they surrounded and attacked me… – vs 11 NLT

They swarmed around me like bees;
they blazed against me like a crackling fire. – vs 12 NLT

My enemies did their best to kill me… – vs 13 NLT

Whoever the psalmist was, he found himself in a difficult situation in which the odds were stacked against him. His adversaries were many, and their intentions were clear: They were out to destroy him. But in the depth of his pain and suffering, he called on the LORD and was delivered.

I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. – vs 10 NLT

Though he was overwhelmed and outgunned, Yahweh gave him a resounding victory over his enemies. Rather than boast in his own prowess or military proficiency, the psalmist gives all the credit to Yahweh.

…the LORD rescued me.
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory. – Psalm 118:13-14 NLT

He then explains the reason for his song of praise.

Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph.
The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! – Psalm 118:15-16 NLT

The psalmist credited Yahweh for the victory, but he refused to blame him for his predicament. In fact, he did just the opposite. He viewed Yahweh as just in punishing his sin and merciful for sparing his life.

The LORD has punished me severely,
but he did not let me die. – Psalm 118:18 NLT

And the psalmist, who had been overwhelmed with fear and apprehension, was now overwhelmed with gratitude to Yahweh. He couldn’t help but sing the LORD’s praises for all He had done.

Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
    and I will go in and thank the LORD.
These gates lead to the presence of the LORD,
    and the godly enter there.
I thank you for answering my prayer
    and giving me victory! – Psalm 118:19-21 NLT

The psalmist summarizes his experience by referring to himself as “the stone that the builders rejected” (Psalm 118:22 ESV). Looking back on his situation, he recalled his inadequacy and helplessness. Surrounded by his enemies and ill-equipped to deal with their threats against him, he felt rejected by God. At one time, he had considered himself integral to Yahweh’s plans, but the circumstances of life left him feeling discarded and forsaken. But Yahweh had not abandoned him.

The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.
This is the day the LORD has made.
    We will rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:22-24 NLT

In the gospel of Matthew, he records a conversation Jesus had with the religious leaders of Israel. Jesus told them a parable about a “certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country” (Matthew 21:33 NLT). When the fall harvest arrived, the landowner sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. But “the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another” (Matthew 21:35 NLT). The landowner sent a larger group of servants, but they were treated similarly. Finally, the landowner sent his son, expecting him to be treated with respect. But “they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him” (Matthew 21:39 NLT).

When Jesus asked the religious leaders what they thought the landowner should do to these tenant farmers, they quickly replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest” (Matthew 21:41 NLT). Then Jesus, borrowing from Psalm 118, dropped a bombshell.

Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.’

I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” – Matthew 21:42-44 NLT

Jesus took this psalm of thanksgiving and praise and turned it into a warning of future judgment on all those who rejected Him as LORD and Savior. The Pharisees and Sadducees viewed Jesus as useless and of no value to their plans. They had discarded Him as nothing more than a religious heretic. They were the enemies who surrounded Jesus and threatened Him with death, but their efforts to eradicate Him would prove unsuccessful. God had not forsaken the psalmist and would not forsake His own Son.

The psalmist prophetically wrote, “Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD” (Psalm 118:26 NLT). Matthew picked up on this phrase when he recorded Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!” – Matthew 21:7-9 NLT

Jesus was the fulfillment of Psalm 118. He was the rejected cornerstone and the one who comes in the name of the LORD. He was surrounded by enemies but won the victory in the power of the LORD. He defeated sin and death. He broke the bonds that held humanity captive. The Hallel Psalms speak of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. They remind us that God is always there for us.

We literally walk in His presence each and every day (Psalms 116:9). He watches over us, and we can trust Him. In fact, the psalmist reminds us that “It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people” (Psalms 118:8 NLT). People let us down, just like we let them down. But God never lets us down and never disappoints. He never fails to come through. He may not do things the way we want them done, but He always delivers – in ways we could never have imagined – and always for our good and His glory.

The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph.
The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! – Psalms 118:16 NLT

The LORD is for us. So why don’t we trust Him more? Is it because we refuse to recognize His hand in our lives? We have not trained ourselves to look for the signs of His presence. They are there. His answers to prayers that come at just the right time. His gracious provision for all our needs. His providential protection despite our proven unfaithfulness. God is for us and He loves us. That thought should blow us away and result in praise and thanksgiving – all day, everyday.

Father, I know I don’t thank You enough. I take far too much for granted, including the gracious gift of Your Son’s sacrifice on my behalf. I want to live with a stark awareness of your goodness and graciousness in my life, not just for salvation but for Your constant provision, protection, and blessings along the way. The psalmist was grateful and expressed it in song. I am quick to complain but slow to compliment and commend You for Your sovereign role in every area of my life. I want to live more gratefully and joyfully, recognizing Your activity in my life and thanking You for it because Your faithful love endures forever. Amen

The Best Advertising is a Satisfied Customer

April 5, 2025April 5, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹I waited patiently for the LORD;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
²He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
³He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the LORD.

⁴Blessed is the man who makes
    the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!
⁵You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told.

⁶In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
⁷Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
⁸I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

⁹I have told the glad news of deliverance
    in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O LORD.
¹⁰I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

¹¹As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
¹²For evils have encompassed me
    beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart fails me.

¹³Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!
    O LORD, make haste to help me!
¹⁴Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
¹⁵Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

¹⁶But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the LORD!”
¹⁷As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the LORD takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God! – Psalm 40:1-17 ESV

When was the last time you told someone else what God has done for you? I’m not talking about your salvation story, how you came to Christ when you were seven or eight. I’m talking about telling others how God is actively involved in your life, accomplishing things He can do.

David starts this Psalm by talking about a time in the not-so-distant past when he found himself patiently waiting for help from God. Then he testifies that “he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along” (Psalm 40:1-2 NLT). As a result of God’s gracious intervention, David sang His praises for what He had done in his life. He engaged in an orchestrated public relations campaign for God, boldly proclaiming his miraculous rescue and restoration. His goal was simple: He wanted others to learn from his experience and place their confidence in God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord. – Psalm 40:3b NLT

To ensure that his audience didn’t miss the point, David recorded a very public prayer of gratitude to God that conveyed his belief in God’s trustworthiness.

Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
    who have no confidence in the proud
    or in those who worship idols.
O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
    Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
    You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
    I would never come to the end of them. – Psalm 40:4-5 NLT

Too often, the only stories we have of God’s activity in our lives are in the past tense. We can tell how we came to faith in Christ and describe the life-transforming nature of that encounter. We may even recall a time when God answered a prayer or delivered us from a difficult situation. But our stories of God’s active involvement in our lives tend to be few and far between and rarely recent in occurrence.

But for David, God was actively involved in every aspect of his life. The LORD’s actions weren’t sporadic or isolated; they were constant and commonplace. Everywhere David looked, he could see God’s handiwork, and he could stop talking about it.

I have told all your people about your justice.
    I have not been afraid to speak out,
    as you, O Lord, well know.
I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
    I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
    of your unfailing love and faithfulness. – Psalm 40:9-10 NLT

This testimony of God’s love and faithfulness was meant to encourage others, but David also used it to bolster his own trust in God. He knew the future would be filled with ample opportunities to seek God’s help and see His faithfulness played out because sin wasn’t going away and troubles were inevitable.

LORD, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
    Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
For troubles surround me—
    too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
    I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
    I have lost all courage. – Psalm 40:11-12 NLT

David knew from experience that difficult days would come, but he also knew that God could and would show up when he called. David viewed his life as a proving ground of God’s presence, power, and provision. When his enemies attacked, David could turn to God for help. When his own sinfulness raised its ugly head, David could seek forgiveness and restoration from the LORD. There was no difficulty or dilemma in David’s future that God couldn’t handle. His life had been a testimonial to God’s presence and power, and he wanted everyone to know it.

…may all who search for you
    be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
    repeatedly shout, “The LORD is great!”
As for me, since I am poor and needy,
    let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
    O my God, do not delay. – Psalm 40:16-17 NLT

In the middle of this psalm, David draws an interesting conclusion that has far-reaching implications. His testimony concerning God’s faithfulness must be accompanied by a willing obedience to keep God’s commands. It doesn’t do any good to go through the motions, offering sacrifices to God and displaying a ritualistic religious fervor that conveys a false sense of piety. David knew that God wanted more than lip service; He desired heartfelt obedience.

You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
    Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand—
    you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
Then I said, “Look, I have come.
    As is written about me in the Scriptures:
I take joy in doing your will, my God,
    for your instructions are written on my heart.” – Psalm 40:6-8 NLT

What makes this passage even more significant is its presence in the Book of Hebrews, where the author quotes it in reference to Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross

…when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” – Hebrews 10:5-7 NLT

According to the author of Hebrews, Jesus understood that obedience to the Father’s will superseded any adherence to the Mosaic Law. While He lived on this planet, Jesus kept the law perfectly and obeyed His Heavenly Father flawlessly.

When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross. – Philippians 2:7-8 NLT

Jesus became the perfect sacrifice—the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). During His earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly testified to God’s presence, power, and provision. He spoke of God’s greatness and goodness and demonstrated God’s power through miracles and messages. But all that would have meant nothing if He failed to do what God had sent Him to accomplish.David seemed to understand that obedience must accompany obeisance. In other words, feigning worship of God without obeying the will of God is hypocrisy. Testifying to God’s greatness while refusing to do His will isn’t worship, it’s the worst form of duplicity. God spoke of this duplicitous and deceitful charade on the part of His people through the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel.

“These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” – Isaiah 29:13 NLT

“…they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.” – Ezekiel 33:31 ESV

Testifying to God’s greatness while ignoring His will is unacceptable and untenable. David understood that the greatest form of praise was obedience. He was more than willing to sing God’s praises, but he also wanted to do God’s will.

I am convinced that many more people would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ if the followers of Christ had more to say about Him. If we had more to share about what He has done in our lives lately and how Christ is transforming our lives daily, it would give credibility to our claims regarding the value of salvation. So many unbelievers are asking, “What has God done for you lately?” If they asked you that question, what would your answer be? What would you tell them? David gives us some not-so-subtle hints:

I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out… – Psalm 40:9 NLT

I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness. – Psalm 40:10 NLT

David knew first-hand what it was like to have God intervene in his life and rescue him from trouble, forgive him of sin, provide him with victory, heal him from sickness, and restore him to a right relationship with Himself. David knew that a relationship with God was not all about doing things for God to somehow keep Him satisfied and earn brownie points with Him. No, God wants His followers to take joy in doing His will because they have experienced His faithful, unconditional love and want to express their gratitude through obedience and submission to His will for their lives – because they know He loves them and has their best interests in store.

David said about God, “Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them” (Psalm 40:5 NLT). David had much to say about God because God was an active and vital part of his life. Can the same thing be said of us? If we tried to recite all the wonderful things He has done for us lately, would we run out of time before our list ran out?

David called on God because he expected God to act. David waited on God because he was confident God would respond. David told others about God because he had plenty of stories of God’s faithfulness to tell. He said, “May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, ‘The Lord is great!’” (Psalm 40:16b NLT). Maybe we have little to say about God because we so seldom turn to God for help and hope.

Oh, the joys of those who trust in the LORD. – Psalm 40:4a NLT

Father, the problem is not that You are silent in my life, it is that I don’t recognize and appreciate Your activity. I don’t see it, so I don’t acknowledge it. You are working all the time on my behalf, but I tend to be blind to it. I also don’t turn to You enough in times of trouble and trust You for deliverance. I try to solve all my own problems. In doing so, I rob You of glory and deny myself the opportunity to see Your power on display in my life. I want to be a greater witness for You by being more satisfied by You. I want to sing Your praises more and tell everyone I meet of all Your wonderful acts. Amen

The Goodness of God

August 7, 2024August 7, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

The goodness of God is not a topic most of us are familiar with or find easy to describe. But it is an essential aspect of God’s character that we tend to give less attention to because of His more impressive-sounding attributes like omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. In our English vernacular, the word “good” sounds a bit underachieving – as in “good, better, best.” To describe something as merely “good” sounds like you’re disappointed or settling for less than the ideal. To describe a meal as being “good” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

But when the Scriptures describe God as being good, they are not qualifying His character or comparing Him with anyone or anything else. They are declaring the incomparable kindness, grace, mercy, and goodwill He showers on mankind.

“No one is good except God alone.” – Luke 18:19 ESV

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! – Psalm 34:8 NLT

For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation. – Psalm 100:5 NLT

God is good and His goodness shows up in the form of unfailing love.

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 23:6 LT

When David wrote this psalm, he chose to describe God as “good” and used the Hebrew word ṭôḇ (towb). Like many other Hebrew words, this one is rich in meaning. It can be used to refer to something as excellent or the best of the best. It was commonly used to refer to the moral excellence of a person or thing, and it was often used as an antonym for evil (ra’). God is totally and completely good, having no semblance of evil in His character. John described God this way: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 ESV).

So, the statement “God is good” also speaks of His moral excellence and His complete lack of evil. He is fully righteous, holy, and just in all His ways. As David put it, “The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness” (Psalm 145:17 NLT). To say that God is good means that He always acts in accordance with what is right, true, and good.

God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true. – Psalm 18:30 NLT

Everything about God is good.

You are good and do only good… – Psalm 119:68 NLT

All of His actions are motivated and empowered by His goodness. Unlike man, God does not have to work at being good. At no time can God be accused of doing anything “bad” and, therefore, He requires no one to demand that He “be good.” We may not like what God does, but as fallen creatures, we have no right to question His motives or methods.

“He is originally good, good of Himself, which nothing else is; for all creatures are good only by participation and communication from God. He is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself: the creature’s good is a super-added quality, in God it is His essence. He is infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a drop, but in God there in an infinite ocean or gathering together of good. He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is; as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him.” – Thomas Manton, Works of Thomas Manton, Vol. VII

God’s inherent goodness is essential to who He is. Consider what it would be like to worship an all-powerful deity who lacked the attribute of goodness. In ancient times, this was exactly the situation in which many pagan nations found themselves. Their kings were powerful and vengeful. They were mighty but lacking in mercy. They were great but not good. Power, devoid of goodness, results in despotism. Sadly, these same pagan people groups found themselves worshiping false gods that carried the same attributes. Any goodness their gods showed was fickle, fleeting, and the result of human effort. But that is not the case with God. A. W. Tozer reminds us that the one true God “is no respecter of persons but makes His sun to shine on the evil as well as on the good, and sends His rain on the just and on the unjust” (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy).

The goodness of God goes hand in hand with His power. It is His goodness that allows us to rest in His strength, knowing that He will never use it in a way that is unjust or unrighteous. We may not always like what He does, but the knowledge of His goodness provides us with the assurance that His actions are always right and righteous. While we may not understand His ways, we can trust that His goodness permeates all that He does. There is never a moment when God’s actions are tainted by evil. His intentions and conduct are always good, all the time.

To put it simply, evil is the absence of goodness. It is whatever God is not. When we sin, we are acting in opposition to and in rebellion against the expressed will of God. We are willingly choosing to commit wickedness rather than goodness. Which is exactly what Adam and Eve did in the garden.

When God completed each phase of His creation of the universe, He stated, “It is good.” But when He had made man and woman, He “saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31 ESV). Why? Because He “created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 ESV). They were the apex of His creative order, designed to be summa cum laude, that which is of highest distinction and worth.

This first man and woman enjoyed the goodness of God, as evidenced by the rest of His creation. They had access to the beauty of the garden. They could satisfy their hunger by eating fruit from any of the trees He had provided (except one). And they could enjoy unbroken fellowship with the one who had made them. But then, sin entered the equation. The evil one tempted them to reject God’s goodness, convincing them that his way was better than God’s. He lied, deceiving them into believing God was holding out on them. He painted God as a cosmic killjoy, withholding from them something they desired and deserved. To convince Adam and Eve to take the bait, he contradicted the very words of God.

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” – Genesis 3:4-5 NLT

Don’t miss that last line. He promised them the capacity to know both “good and evil” – towb and ra’. Up to that point, they had enjoyed only the former, the goodness of God as evidenced by His “good” creation. What Satan was promising them was knowledge of the absence of God. They were about to find out what it was like to live in opposition to and separation from God. After having eaten the forbidden fruit, “the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God” (Genesis 3:8 ESV), and it was just a matter of time before “the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the couple, and at the east of the garden of Eden, he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24-25 ESV).

The goodness of God is the key to life. Sin separates man from God, eliminating access to His presence and resulting in an absence of His goodness. Just a few chapters later in the book of Genesis, we see the sad, but inevitable outcome of a life lived apart from the goodness of God.

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. – Genesis 6:5 NLT

But we can’t blame God for the sorry state of man’s condition, and it would be wrong to assume that God’s character was somehow tarnished by humanity’s fall from grace. God’s goodness is not diminished just because man’s wickedness flourished. A. W. Pink warns us not to describe the presence of evil as a deficiency in God’s goodness.

“Nor can the benevolence of God be justly called into question because there is suffering and sorrow in the world. If man sins against the goodness of God, if he despises “the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering,” and after the hardness and impenitence of his heart treasurest up unto himself wrath against the day of wrath (Rom 2:4,5), who is to blame but himself? Would God be ‘good’ if He punished not those who ill-use His blessings, abuse His benevolence, and trample His mercies beneath their feet? It will be no reflection upon God’s goodness, but rather the brightest exemplification of it, when He shall rid the earth of those who have broken His laws, defied His authority, mocked His messengers, scorned His Son, and persecuted those for whom He died.” – A. W. Tozer, The Attributes of God

The amazing thing about God’s goodness is that He did not choose to abandon mankind altogether. His goodness, exhibited by His boundless grace and mercy, explains our continued existence. We do not deserve to be here. We have done nothing to earn His favor or to avoid His righteous anger against our sin and open rebellion against Him. Like Adam and Eve, all of us have chosen to listen to the lies of the enemy and yet, God has “overlooked people’s ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him” (Acts 17:30 NLT).

The apostle Paul reminds us of God’s goodness and men’s wickedness.

“None is righteous, no, not one;
   no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
   “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
   “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” – Romans 3:10-18 NLT

But man’s wickedness is counterbalanced by God’s goodness.

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. – Romans 3:23-26 ESV

God’s goodness included His plan to send His Son as the payment for mankind’s sin. That is why He was able to put up with man’s rebellion for so long. He knew what was coming. His good and gracious sovereign plan had always included the sacrifice of His Son so that mankind might once again experience His goodness. And the proper response to His goodness is gratefulness.

“Gratitude is the return justly required from the objects of His beneficence.” – A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Our Good God

March 1, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁹ “No one is good except God alone.” – Luke 18:19 ESV

⁵For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation. – Psalm 100:5 NLT

⁶⁸You are good and do only good;
teach me your decrees. – Psalm 119:68 NLT

⁶Surely 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 23:6 LT

The goodness of God. It’s not a topic most of us find familiar or easy to describe. But it is an essential aspect of God’s character that we tend to give less attention to because of His more impressive-sounding attributes like omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. In our English vernacular, the word “good” sounds a bit underachieving – as in “good, better, best.” Good sounds like you’re settling for less than the ideal.

But when the psalmist chose to describe God as “good,” he used the Hebrew word towb. Like many other Hebrew words, this one is rich in meaning. It can refer to something that is excellent or the best of the best. It was commonly used to refer to the moral excellence of a person or thing. And it was often used as an antonym for evil (ra’). God is totally and completely good, having no semblance of evil in His character. John described Him this way: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 ESV).

So, the statement “God is good” speaks of His moral excellence and His complete lack of evil. He is fully righteous, holy, and just in all His ways. Or as David put it, “The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness” (Psalm 145:17 NLT). To say that God is good means that God always acts in accordance with what is right, true, and good.

God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true. – Psalm 18:30 NLT

Everything about God is good. All of His actions are motivated and empowered by His goodness. Unlike man, God does not have to work at being good. At no time can God be accused of doing anything “bad” and, therefore, He requires no one to demand that He “be good.” We may not like what God does, but as fallen creatures, we have no right to question His motives or methods.

He is originally good, good of Himself, which nothing else is; for all creatures are good only by participation and communication from God. He is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself: the creature’s good is a super-added quality, in God it is His essence. He is infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a drop, but in God there in an infinite ocean or gathering together of good. He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is; as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him. – Thomas Manton

The power and goodness of God go hand in hand. It is His goodness that allows us to rest in His strength, knowing that He will never use it in a way that is unjust or unrighteous. Again, we may not always like what He does, but knowledge of His goodness provides us with the assurance that His actions are always right and righteous. While we may not understand His ways, we can trust that His goodness permeates all that He does. There is never a moment when God’s actions are tainted by evil. His intentions and conduct are always good, all the time.

When God completed each phase of His creation of the universe, He stated, “It is good.” But when He had made man and woman, He “saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31 ESV). Why? Because He “created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 ESV). They were the apex of His creative order, designed to be suma cum laude, of highest distinction and worth.

And this man and woman enjoyed the goodness of God, as evident in the rest of His creation. They had access to the beauty of the garden. They could satisfy their hunger by eating fruit from any of the trees God had provided (except one). And they could enjoy unbroken fellowship with the one who had made them. But then, sin entered the equation. The evil one tempted them to reject God’s goodness, convincing them that his way was better than God’s. He lied, deceiving them into believing God was holding back on them. He painted God as a cosmic killjoy, withholding from them something they desired and deserved. And to convince Adam and Eve to take the bait, he contradicted the very words of God.

Don’t miss that last line. He promised them the capacity to know both “good and evil” – towb and ra’. Up until that point, they had enjoyed only the former, the goodness of God as evidenced by His “good” creation. What Satan was promising them was knowledge of the absence of God. They were about to find out what it was like to live in opposition to and separation from God. After having eaten of the forbidden fruit, “the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God” (Genesis 3:8 ESV). And it was just a matter of time before “the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden, he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24-25 ESV).

The goodness of God is the key to life. Sin separates man from God, eliminating access to His presence and resulting in an absence of His goodness. And just a few chapters later in the book of Genesis, we see the sad, but inevitable outcome of a life lived apart from the goodness of God.

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. – Genesis 6:5 NLT

But we can’t blame God for man’s sorry state. His goodness is not diminished just because man’s wickedness flourished. A. W. Pink warns us not to describe the presence of evil as a deficiency in God’s goodness.

Nor can the benevolence of God be justly called into question because there is suffering and sorrow in the world. If man sins against the goodness of God, if he despises “the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering,” and after the hardness and impenitence of his heart treasurest up unto himself wrath against the day of wrath (Rom 2:4,5), who is to blame but himself? Would God be “good” if He punished not those who ill-use His blessings, abuse His benevolence, and trample His mercies beneath their feet? It will be no reflection upon God’s goodness, but rather the brightest exemplification of it, when He shall rid the earth of those who have broken His laws, defied His authority, mocked His messengers, scorned His Son, and persecuted those for whom He died. – A. W. Tozer, The Attributes of God

The truly amazing thing about God’s goodness is that He did not choose to abandon mankind altogether. It is His goodness, exhibited by His boundless grace and mercy, that explains our continued existence. We do not deserve to here. We have done nothing to earn His favor or to avoid His righteous anger against our sin and open rebellion to Him. Like Adam and Eve, all of us have chosen to listen to the lies of the enemy and yet, God has “overlooked people’s ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him” (Acts 17:30 NLT).

The apostle Paul reminds us that God is good, but man is evil.

But man’s badness is counterbalanced by God’s goodness.

Gratitude is the return justly required from the objects of His beneficence. – A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God