Scripture
1I will exalt you, my God and King,
and praise your name forever and ever.
2I will praise you every day;
yes, I will praise you forever.
3Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
No one can measure his greatness.
4Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
let them proclaim your power.
5I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles.
6Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
7Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
8The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9The Lord is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
10All of your works will thank you, Lord,
and your faithful followers will praise you.
11They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
they will give examples of your power.
12They will tell about your mighty deeds
and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.
The Lord always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.[1]
14The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
15The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it.
16When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
18The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.
21I will praise the Lord,
and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
forever and ever.
Translation notes (1)
- 145:13 As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek and Syriac versions; the Masoretic Text lacks the final two lines of this verse.
The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation. Psalm 145:8-9
The 1995 song God is Good All the Time, written by Don Moen, begins with the words, "God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good." You may be familiar with these well-known lyrics, but have you taken time to stop and think about what they mean? These lyrics tell us that God is good, meaning that no part of Him is bad. They also tell us that God is always good, meaning that there is never a time He will not be good. Looking at the lyrics to this song, there is no doubt that his confidence in God's goodness was grounded in Scripture.
Psalm 145 speaks of God's goodness. In this Psalm, King David praises God for His goodness. He praises God for all of the good things He has done. "Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness," he writes (verse 7). "The Lord is merciful and compassionate," David declares, "slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation" (verses 8 and 9). Re-read these last two verses for a moment. Marvel at them. "The Lord is good to everyone." That means that there is no person God is not good to. Let that truth resonate in your heart right now. He is good to you.
What does this truth mean for you? We've been talking all week about different people in the Bible who lived in direct disobedience toward God and faced monsoons as a result of that disobedience. Today, we are shifting gears and talking about why disobedience is not the correct response. If God is good to us all the time like Psalm 145 teaches, then it stands to reason that everything He asks us to do is good and for His glory. We can trust that obedience is always going to be the best thing we can do. Are you struggling to obey Him because you are questioning His goodness to you? My friend, let me assure you that God is good to you, even when He feels distant. You can trust that obedience to Him is always going to be the best response.
Moving Toward Action
Find someone today who you know is struggling. Tell them that God is good, even if their circumstances seem to tell them otherwise. They can trust in His goodness and obey Him. As you declare God's goodness, you both will be encouraged to obey God, trusting that He is good to you both.
Going Deeper
Read Psalm 145:1-21 (NLT)
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