“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” — Psalm 27:13 (ESV)
God is Good
God is good. What emotion does that fact stir in you? I know for some this phrase stirs up unspeakable joy, while others of us seem to be immune to its emotion in our lives. I believe the issue for many of us is that the phrase “God is good” is so frequently said and so infrequently experienced. For many of us, we are just told that God is good from a young age, but we are seldom given the chance to experience that goodness. Goodness is something meant to be experienced and then believed, not the other way around.
David said that he would look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He had already seen God’s goodness in his life and believed that he would see it again. He knew for a fact that God was good, and therefore he sought to experience that goodness. It’s that same heart that the Sons of Korah had in the famous Psalm 84, singing, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God … For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:1-2,10, ESV). That sounds like the worship of a good God, a goodness that had been experienced.
When was the last time you experienced the goodness of God? Psalm 33:5 (ESV) says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” God’s goodness is here, just waiting to be experienced. James 1:17 (ESV) says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” God is always good, and every good and perfect gift you’ve received is from Him! He demonstrates His goodness to us in innumerable ways, all the time. How is it then that we don’t recognize it? How is it that we can be surrounded by God’s goodness and not experience it?
God has proven in Scripture that He works in our midst demonstrating His goodness, but we have to take time to listen and respond to these demonstrations. In Psalm 27 (ESV), God says to David, “Seek My face,” and David responds, “My heart says to You, Your face, Lord, do I seek.” When God says “seek,” He uses a Hebrew word that is meant for more than one person. God calls all of us, His people, to “seek My face.” Then in response we are to say, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Take time today to respond to God’s invitation of goodness. Seek to look upon His face and to experience His goodness. He has laid a banquet table before you and is simply asking you to come and dine with Him.
— Craig Denison, First 15
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