The Goodness Of The Lord Endureth Continually

Psalms 27:13, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

I woke up this morning thinking about how good God is. I searched the book of Psalms and found the word “goodness” mentioned 18 times. The word “good” is mentioned 79 times. Despite all the ugliness in this sinful world, God is a good God. In fact, He is a very very good God. Like David in the Old Testament, I am continually amazed at the incredible wonder of the human body. God is more than amazing! David said in Psalms 27:13 above, that were it not for his hope in the goodness of God, he would have quit (fainted). It was David's faith that God is a good God, which the Bible declares and nature evidences Him to be, which gave David the strength to keep going day by day. I also can testify to the same!

I receive many emails from disgruntled and miserable believers, web visitors, who are looking at the wrong things in life. We are what we think about. I encourage others to focus on Jesus Christ and the many promises of God in the Bible. Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” When I praise God for His goodness and think about His many blessings, I find peace each day. We all have problems, some more than others at different times in our lives. It is during the darkest times that we ought to praise God even more, showing our faith in the Lord. 

Psalms 31:19, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” God is so good, He's so good to me. And He's good to you friend. If you think God has not been good to you, then you have a wrong attitude. Ironically, it is the people in life who suffer the most and have the least, who praise and thank God the most for what they have. It is the most famous and the wealthiest among us humans who appreciate God the least, and rarely if ever praise and thank God for His blessings. Most rich people are too ashamed of Jesus to openly brag on Him, because they love the praises of men more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43).

Psalms 33:5, “He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.” I have learned that people who live in the big and dirty cities often lack faith in God the most. They are surrounded by ugly manmade concrete buildings, streets and bridges. They see homeless people everywhere. Crime is rampant in all big cities. But I have rarely met a family who grew up and worked on a farm out in a rural area, who didn't have strong faith in God. God is seen in nature. That is why I think everyone who lives in a city should take time to drive or travel to the country once in awhile. Please don't misunderstand, God's handiwork is seen in the cities too, if you can see any stars through the smog...lol. But there's just something healing for the soul about seeing a flowing river, a waterfall, a mountain, a forest and a brilliant rainbow in a valley.

Psalms 52:1, “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?  the goodness of God endureth continually.” God's goodness abounds in our earthly world. I went down to the Community Maritime Park in Pensacola yesterday. I walked around for awhile, limping in pain from my neck injury, which radiates into my arms and legs. I've had horrible stinging pain this week from my neck extending down my left arm into my two middle fingers. So I need to get out by the ocean and see God's handiwork often, to remind me that God is so good. I watched the beautiful big sea birds swoop in gracefully and fly away with great ease of flight. God is so amazing! I saw the beautiful Pensacola Bay, looking out on the ocean as far as I could see. The sun was warm about my body, as I enjoyed the 70 degree pleasant weather in November.

God is not just good to His children, He is good to everyone, even the wicked. Luke 6:35, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Wow! God is good even to evil people. They still get to eat His food, drink His water and enjoy God's creation. But dear friend, God's goodness will not last beyond the grave for the unbeliever. Evil people whom the Lord does not know, will go straight to Hell forever!!!

Psalms 25:7, “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.” In the preceding verse David speaks as a child of God. The Lord is good. One of my favorite Bible passages is Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?  he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” Christianity stands apart unique from all other religious faiths. Only in Bible Christianity does God offer a free pardon, even to wicked people who are not ready to turn away from their sins.

I am so sick and tired of hearing ungodly preachers demand that lost sinners forsake their lifelong sinful bad habits or else God won't save them! Nothing could be further from the truth of the Holy Bible. God freely offers eternal life as a gift to all humanity, to anyone who is willing to receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sins, believing that Christ resurrected from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus paid our debt of sin on the cross. He shed His precious blood, died, was buried, raised up the third day, ascended into Heaven, and then sprinkled that shed blood upon the heavenly Mercy Seat in the presence of God the Father (Hebrews 9:12, 22-24; 12:24).

To be saved, all a lost sinner needs to do is acknowledge that they are a guilty needy sinner, and BELIEVE the Good News (the Gospel) that Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected to pay for their sins. The very moment that you make that Good News yours personally, through faith alone to accept it as true FOR YOU, you are forever saved. You are then and forever a born-again child of God. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” It is not what you do that gets you into Heaven friend, it is what God did for you through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son through Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. Simply BELIEVE and you will be saved immediately and eternally (Acts 16:30-31). What a good God!!! The Lord wants to save you now dear reader, if you have never made that decision to receive Christ as your personal Savior. Please don't delay another second, because life is predictably unpredictable!