The goodness of God

You are my God, and I give You thanks; You are my God, and I praise You. Give thanks to our Eternal Lord; He is always good. He never ceases to be loving and kind. (Psalm 118:28-29)

There is a certain sense of 'intimacy' in these words, isn't there? Our psalmist capture the essence of the relationship desires of his kids. The closeness of one who can proclaim, "You are MY God...", is something that isn't known by all who claim to know him. They may claim him as God, but not as 'their God'. Our psalmist starts with the acknowledgement of God being close to him first, giving praise to him, then acknowledges that God is good to all, moving from a personal to corporate view of the relationship. God always asks for us to focus first on the personal, then engage with the corporate. Does that sound a little too 'self-centered' to be something God would want? Not at all, because he created us to commune with him in a deeply personal sense and then to bring that communion relationship into our relationships with others.

God is good ... and the people say, "All the time". Have you heard that in some church service at one time or another? If you have ever experienced the goodness of God in your life, you know the "all the time" part comes from within you in a little deeper way than just repeating some words by rote, right? How has God been good in your life today? As I write these words, I can recount multiple examples in just the past week. A daughter who lovingly stepped up and helped me care for my mom's needs at the end of her life, kept me fed when I didn't feel like cooking, and continued to call/text to be sure I was doing okay myself. My BFF who came morning and night to help me bathe mom, change her sheets, and get her situated for her day/night, countless times of holding mom's hand, and endlessly just letting me weep a little. God's goodness comes through in our lives through people, in special memories that flood our souls, and in times of just breathing in and out as we think upon him. 

Goodness isn't always a 'thing' - very often it is something felt, known, and sensed. Goodness is something we are to celebrate - with passion and purpose. If we consider the goodness of God in our lives, we begin with the 'personal' goodness he has revealed in and through us, then we consider the more 'corporate' goodness he reveals in and through those around us. When was the last time you acknowledged his goodness? If it hasn't been in a while, maybe it is time to just sit down, get quiet, then begin to allow his goodness to flow over you, bringing forth moment after moment of praise, adoration, and worship from within. His goodness is something to be celebrated - so shout it out! Just praising God today!