PRAISING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS
“I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of thy terrible acts; and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness” (Psalm 145:5-7). The word terrible used here means that His acts are so great that they cause astonishment and awe.
We cannot deny God’s claim that we are to praise Him in all His excellence, but we are especially called to praise Him for His goodness.
Note that the psalmist insists on an abundance of praise in memory of the Father’s goodness. It was common for David to sing these praises as lavish utterances, as if to cause the praise to gush out like water rushing from a fountain.
In Psalm 107:8-9, David writes, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
This truth of praising God for His past goodness struck a chord in my heart and I have been moved upon to do as David did. We are called to celebrate His goodness!
David opens up about the goodness he speaks of—God’s inclination to use mercy as He sympathizes with our afflictions and miseries. David borrowed from Exodus 34:6, where God spoke to Moses: “The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”
Beloved, look back over the past and remember how good the Lord has been to you. Meditate on His compassions that never failed to bring you through. I am finding pleasure in praising God for all things, but especially for His goodness. Not only for past goodnesses, but for those I see daily—the good I see all around me in the present.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).
We cannot deny God’s claim that we are to praise Him in all His excellence, but we are especially called to praise Him for His goodness.
Note that the psalmist insists on an abundance of praise in memory of the Father’s goodness. It was common for David to sing these praises as lavish utterances, as if to cause the praise to gush out like water rushing from a fountain.
In Psalm 107:8-9, David writes, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
This truth of praising God for His past goodness struck a chord in my heart and I have been moved upon to do as David did. We are called to celebrate His goodness!
David opens up about the goodness he speaks of—God’s inclination to use mercy as He sympathizes with our afflictions and miseries. David borrowed from Exodus 34:6, where God spoke to Moses: “The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”
Beloved, look back over the past and remember how good the Lord has been to you. Meditate on His compassions that never failed to bring you through. I am finding pleasure in praising God for all things, but especially for His goodness. Not only for past goodnesses, but for those I see daily—the good I see all around me in the present.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).