I like to fill my mind with great thoughts about our great God. And the best way I know to do that is to read, study, memorize and meditate on the written Word of God, for here we find an infinite supply of radiant gems that describe the One who is indescribable.
God has chosen to reveal Himself through words. This fascinates me to no end. I regularly read through the book of Psalms and the plethora of nouns, verbs and adjectives that focus on the character and conduct of our God can be overwhelming.
I love reading a psalm that I’ve read many times before and “finding” a verse that tells me about God in a way I haven’t considered before. Such is the case with Psalm 31:19.
How great is your goodness
which you have stored up for those who fear you
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
Psalm 31:19 (NIV 1978)
I love that verse, especially the first five words.
There is a cluster of words used of God in the Psalms that are most comforting, the source of constant delight for the people of God. Oh may we never tire of singing of His love, grace, mercy, compassion and kindness.
The goodness of God can be viewed as the one divine attribute that summarizes the others mentioned above; that’s the way I like to think of it. My mind gravitates toward categorization. I like a word that captures the essence of many other words.
David says that God’s goodness is “great” (NIV 1978) or “abundant” (ESV). God’s goodness is of such magnitude and intensity, He stores it up for us. I love the King James rendering: God’s goodness has been “laid up” for us. Incredible!
Dear friend of God, think on this today and let it take your breath away! God has so much goodness to shower upon you, He chooses to stockpile it in His divine warehouse. Every day He takes some of that goodness and delivers it to you as only He can: food, clothing, shelter; people to love and be loved by; parents and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters; music and art and poetry and prose. So many gifts, so much goodness!
And then when we move from the material realm to the spiritual, the goodness of God becomes even more amazing. The holy Scriptures, the holy Spirit, the Christ – the holy One of Israel. The provision of forgiveness through the death and resurrection of King Jesus. The granting of godly sorrow, genuine repentance, and saving faith. All so we can be reconciled to the One we betrayed with a kiss. Entrance into His kingdom both in this life and the next. And the sweet intimacy of His presence.
All these manifestations of the goodness of God come to us daily. Oh, may we never take them for granted! May we rise up with grateful hearts to give thanks to the King of glory, for surely His goodness pursues us all the days of our lives.
The above comments are an excerpt from my book, How to Pray Like David: A Bible Study on Psalms 1-41, available on Amazon in Kindle or paperback. Or you can download a free PDF of this book here.
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