The Goodness of God Part 14

Psalm 16:2 NKJV

O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

There is a common saying, “Oh my goodness!” The next time we say it or hear it, let us remember what the psalmist said:” My goodness is nothing apart from You.” So when we say “my goodness” we are really talking about God’s goodness because He is our goodness. We have no goodness apart from Him. When we do good, we should praise God because His goodness was shown through us. Everything good in us is because of the good God we serve. Oh His goodness! (smile)

The Goodness of God Part 13

Nehemiah 9:25 NKJV

And they took strong cities and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all goods,
Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate and were filled and grew fat, and delighted themselves in Your great goodness.

As leaders continued to rehearse the goodness of the Lord to Israel during the time of Nehemiah, they said that God’s people delighted themselves in God’s great goodness. Let us pray for those who are suffering all over the world and make sure we are grateful for what we have. When we eat a good meal, go to sleep on a nice bed, ride in a nice vehicle, clock in to a good job or enjoy any other benefit we have, let us SOP (smile on purpose) and thank God for His great goodness.

The Goodness of God Part 12

Nehemiah 9:20-21 NKJV

You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.

The restoration of the wall of Jerusalem was completed under the leadership of Nehemiah. In addition to this great project being completed, there was a spiritual revival among God’s people. Please note that as the Israelites were praising God at a large gathering, rehearsing the goodness of God toward them, someone mentioned that God gave His good Spirit to instruct them. It may seem simple, but this is a powerful statement. If we believe the Spirit God gave to instruct us is good, then why would we hesitate to be obedient? The next time the Holy Spirit directs us through the Word or in our spirits, let us remember He is a good Spirit and be quick to obey. He is looking out for our good and the good of those He sends us to bless.

The Goodness of God Part 11

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 NKJV

When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house. When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever."

Solomon had just finished dedicating the temple to the Lord. As they offered sacrifices, the glory of the Lord showed up and a powerful sign from Heaven appeared. Fire came down and consumed the offering and sacrifice. The glory of God was so thick that the priests could not pass through it to go into the temple. In the midst of this great display of God’s power, what did the Jews focus on when they worshipped? It was God’s goodness and mercy. Whenever there was a significant moment in the history of Israel, it was very common for them to praise the Lord for His goodness. Even when they were in warfare, we see mention of God’s goodness. Although they mentioned His power and greatness sometimes, the thing that got more emphasis when they worshipped was God’s goodness. God’s goodness is what makes Him so great.

The Goodness of God Part 10

Psalm 31:19 NKJV

Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!

For those of us who reverence God and have put our trust in Him, we have experienced His goodness. If we have been serving the Lord for a while, surely we can agree with the psalmist who said God’s goodness is great. When we observe how He gives wicked people time to repent, we should realize how great His goodness is. After the many times we did not do what we should have done, the fact that we are still here illustrates His goodness. When we think about His patience with us, His forgiveness for us when we missed the mark so many times, His kindness toward us in many ways, it should make us want to say the same thing we see in Psalm 31:19 – “Oh, how great is Your goodness!”

The Goodness of God Part 9

Deuteronomy 9:5-6 NKJV

It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.

When we experience God’s goodness we must not think it is because of how good we are. There are rewards for doing good and being faithful. However, most of the blessings we experience have nothing to do with us. We must remain humble and realize there are many reasons for our blessings. Some of us are blessed because of our godly parents. Some are blessed because of godly associations. All of us are blessed because our Heavenly Father is so good and He loves us so much. It is His goodness, not ours that accounts for the things we enjoy. Jesus said, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32 NKJV).