GOD Is Good

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name (Psa. 103:1)

Good is one of those terms with a variety of meanings (see inset) and one of the truest mantras of the Christian community is “God is good all the time”. While there may be some who would disagree with this reality (and certainly they are entitled to their opinions) the vast majority of Christian believers support the idea that God is good:
*Morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious: Good man
*Satisfactory in quality, quantity, or degree: Good health
*Of high quality; excellent: Good credentials
*Right; proper; fit: Good to be here
*Kind, beneficent, or friendly: Good deed
*Honorable or worth; Good standing; a good name
*Educated and refined: Good background
*Genuine; not counterfeit: Good quarter
*Reliable; dependable; responsible: Good advice
*Excellence or merit; kindness: Do good

The writer of Psalm 103 gives at least five examples of God’s goodness. One, the Lord has forgiven our individual sin (103:3). Two, God has healed sickness (103:3). Three, the Merciful One has provided deliverance from death (103:4). Four, God has given abundant kindness (103:4). And five, the Lord has assured food to sustain life (103:5). For these acts of goodness, the psalmist says emphatically, the recipient should bless the Lord. Biblical scholar, Albert Barnes, said the repetition of the phrase 'bless the Lord oh my soul' in verses one and two denotes the intensity or earnestness of the psalmist’s wish or desire. Blessing and praising of the Lord should not lack enthusiasm or exuberance. Worshippers should approach blessing God with the same level of energy they would use at an event in the secular world that provided excitement like the graduation of a child; the chance meeting of a favorite celebrity or a favorite team winning a championship.

Believers should always be cognizant of the goodness of God: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (103:2). We should deliberately and intentionally practice the art of remembering God’s goodness.  Just as remembering historical achievements and accomplishments enables us to chart where we are and from whence we’ve come, remembering God’s goodness helps to keep us grateful and appreciative. Upon remembrance shouts of declaration and proclamation that God is good should be articulated: if it had not been for the Lord on our side where would we be (Psalm 118: 6). But, even more exciting than God being good is that God is actually good all the time. Hemingway once said “Good is what feels good after.” In other words if the sense of goodness persists over time then there is a “good chance” that you have a “good thing”. There are some indulgences that feel good during but not after. Just ask those of us who need to avoid some junk foods – i.e., potato chips. They’re good while we’re eating them, but we later pay the price for the pleasure.

Seriously though, have we not all been involved in relationships that appeared to be good or beneficial only to have our hearts broken and our spirits wounded? There are countless numbers of us who have been stunned by relationships gone bad or wild; and we can only describe those experiences as regrets. But such is not the case with God. Fortunately, the goodness of God does not result in guilt or shame.

A relationship with God is always good, and there are no regrets. There are times however, when conditions or experiences challenge our interaction with God. Listen to the psalmist's plea in Psalm 22 (vs. 1) "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? But, the same psalmist goes on (vs. 22) to say "I will declare your name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee”. Simply, the writer, like most of us, realized that God is good in the rough times as well as in the good times. So, he blesses the Lord with all that is within him.

Like Campbell’s soup – the Lord is umm, umm good!

Prayer: Bless the Lord o my soul and all that is within me. Lord I will bless you at all times: and your praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in you: the humble shall hear and be glad, in Jesus’ name. Amen


God's Peace and Good Journey!
+t. anthony bronner