July 19, 2021 | by: Gregg Hunter | 1 comments
Posted in: Psalm 31
Perhaps you’ve heard this popular worship chorus:
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
Amen! I may not agree with all of Bethel church’s theology. I don’t even agree with everything in this song! But I have to admit that this is a good worship chorus. God has been faithful to me for as long as I’ve known Him. He was faithful to me centuries before I was born! And I have tasted and seen that the Lord is so, so good. With all my breath I will sing of the goodness of God. This is the sentiment of David as he concludes Psalm 31.
Please read Psalm 31:19-24 now.
The Lord’s goodness is “abundant,” and His love is “wondrously shown.” He pours out His mercy lavishly, but only upon a select group of people. Not everyone gets to experience the abundant goodness and wondrously shown love of God. Sure, everyone gets a taste of God’s common grace, but only a select few may have God’s goodness abundantly and wondrously poured out upon them.
Who are these select few? They are “those who fear you;” they are “those who take refuge in you.” It is not the righteous who receive the goodness of God; it is those who trust in the Lord. God has not shown His mercy to me because I was so much more deserving than everyone else. When I finally admitted that I am a sinner in need of grace, then God showed His goodness.
Our Lord is so good! But the only way to experience His goodness is to surrender to Him! Anyone can come to Him; all are welcome. But you must come to Jesus to taste and see that the Lord is good. Once you have tasted from the fountain that never runs dry, you will never thirst again.
God will save you from your sins, and He will do so publicly, “in the sight of the children of mankind.” This means that all will see the mercy of God… because all will see just how wretched you are and how much you need His mercy. This is why so many people are hesitant to come to Jesus—they don’t want to have to publicly admit that they are a sinner in need of grace. When Christians act like they have it all together, they give the impression that Jesus can only forgive us of minor infractions and little slip ups, but when we admit just how broken we are without Jesus, then the world sees that Jesus is powerful enough to forgive their darkest sins too.
Only after you confess to the world that you don’t’ have it all together, and you need God’s mercy, can you join with David in calling others to come to Jesus for mercy. David says “you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.” What a powerful testimony! Are you willing to admit that you needed God’s help? That you were no better than your neighbors and loved ones who are currently struggling under the weight of their own sin?
If you can admit your own brokenness, then you will taste the goodness of God. Then you can call others to join in and “Love the Lord, all you his saints!” His saints are not people who are self-righteous, but sinners who have been made righteous by the shed blood of Jesus Christ! All of us broken vessels can join together and say, “I was nothing, but the Lord has made me His saint. If He has done this for me, then He can do it for you too. He is so, so good!”
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1 COMMENTS
Apr 13, 2021
I can honestly say ' all my life you have been faithful: all my life you have been so, so good...with every breath that I am able...I will sing of the goodness of God". God has been faithful to me. He has been faithful to me even before I was born. He has been faithful to both my material and my paternal grandparents. They did not have an easy life. They had struggles but they proclaimed publicly-God as their Lord and Savior. He has blessed us through the generations. When I was younger, I would read the old testament or hear the stories of how God would Bless the prophet's family for generations. I could relate to this in my own family: especially my maternal family. My grandfather was a 'hell, fire and brimstone' preacher. Although, I went to church- or should I say 'was drug to church' for revivals, morning service, evening services any time the church was open service: God's mercy and blessings were evident in my life. I was covered by Grace and rode sometimes on the skirt tail of my grandmother and mother's prayers for me and my life. As a teenager, I accepted Christ and began my own personal journey to know him. God has poured out his goodness and blessings on me. He has changed me and continues to do good works through me. He is so, so, good.