Exodus 34:6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Sunday, oh Sunday! Time for God’s people to gather in praise and worship, to honour His day with thanksgiving for all that He’s done, is currently doing, and has promised to do for us! And all, with one accord said: ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men.’
And that segues us right into our song of worship today, titled ‘The Goodness of God.’ It’s a song of praise to our good and faithful God, written by Jenn Johnson, one half of the worship duo Brian and Jenn Johnson. She claims that ‘the song was inspired by the process of adopting her fourth child, as she had been singing impromptu into her phone while driving on a long country road about the faithfulness and kindness of God. The song was then developed from the impromptu recording.’
Now there have been many renditions of the song down through the years, most of them slow and soulful, but today we’re going to do a soulful but lively version a la Jenn Johnson and the Bethel Church, with plenty sincere exuberance and enthusiasm, as if we truly mean what we’re singing. So, lets’ get with the sacrificial praise to high heaven.
‘I love You Lord Oh Your mercy never fails me And all my days I’ve been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up Until I lay my head down, Oh I will sing of the goodness of God (Chorus: All my life You have been faithful And All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, Oh I will sing of the goodness of God.) I LOVE your voice. You have led me through the fire. In my darkest night, you were close like no other. I’ve known you as a Father, I’ve known you as a friend, Oh I have lived, in the goodness of God.
(Chorus: Yeahhh! And all my life You have been faithful…I will sing of the goodness of God) Yeah, yeah, it’s so good! Your goodness is running after, It’s running after me. Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me. With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now, I give you everything, cause your goodness is running after, It’s running after me. Oh cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me. With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now, I give you everything, cause your goodness is running after, It’s running after me. Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me.
And All my life You have been faithful And All my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I am able, Oh I’m going to sing, Oh I’m going to sing of the goodness of God. For all my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so good. Oh you lead me in glory…ever-faithful, you are my anchor in the wind and the waves… you are my provider…Oh yeah…and you lead me in glory by your spirit…you are my joy…my joy…every day…Oh shepherd of my soul…what a joy to know you…Oh, the joy of knowing you God…you’re everything to me…so wonderful…so wonderful in all your ways…in all your ways. That’s why I will always sing of your goodness Lord…always sing of your goodness Lord.’
And that’s exactly the way it ought to be my faithful brethren; be grateful for God’s amazing goodness, and continually let Him know it! And what’s this goodness, what’s it’s spiritual meaning? They say that ‘Goodness is action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous. When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, “agathosune,” means “an uprightness of heart and life” And that’s the gospel truth! Jesus desires us to show goodness, or kindness to all we meet, ‘to be compassionate, understanding; to care for others with a pure spirit; and to realize that true life only comes through Christ.’
That’s His basic agenda. And how do we experience the goodness of God? One commentary says: ‘It’s through the promises of God’s Word that we partake of His nature—a nature that is peace, abundance, healing, victory, guidance and protection. His promises are a pipeline that connects us with His nature. And His promises are exceedingly great and precious’
And that commentator referenced (2 Peter 1:3-4), which tells us: ‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ Yes friends, we experience God’s goodness through the many wonderful promises found in His Word.
And James further tells us that ‘Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) Oh my people, ALL the good things we have in this life comes from and unchanging and ever-generous God! I like How Bruh David says it in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) Can you imagine the terrible state we’d be in if the goodness of God wasn’t available in these turbulent and dangerous times? Hn! I don’t even want to think about it.
That’s why the psalmist so avidly declares (yesss!!!) in Psalm 107: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:8-9) And the Lord Himself spoke of His goodness when Moses went back up Mt. Sinai the second time to receive the Ten Commandants. He descended in a cloud and passed before Moses and proclaimed: ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ (Ex, 34:6)
And we know our God does not lie, neither does Jesus Christ, thus His reply to the rich, young ruler who called Him ‘Good Master (Teacher)’ when enquiring how to obtain eternal life. Jesus said to him, ‘Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.’ (Mark 10:18) Now that’s something for us to chew on, to ponder this Sunday as we sincerely contemplate our relationship to our good God. Much LOVE!
…oh…give thanks unto the Lord…for he is good…for his mercy endureth for ever… (1 Chr. 16:34)
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