God's Immense Goodness

“O taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8

Have you ever had a moment where you felt like absolutely everything was right in the world? Maybe thoughts entered your brain that nothing else at all was needed to complete such a picture-perfect moment. Well, that is 100% how I felt on my wedding day. Absolutely everything was ideal. From my slower paced morning eating breakfast, drinking coffee, spending time alone in God’s word, to spending quality time with some of the people on this earth dearest to me, to the moment I saw my husband, it all seemed perfect. The day just continued to get better and better. While on our honeymoon, I still felt like everything was fully right in the world. It was during that time, when things had calmed down, I spent some time thinking and reflecting. I really started to feel overwhelmed with all the blessings in my life and just how abundant God’s goodness had been toward me.

As soon as those thoughts entered my head, I practically paused my brain and thought about that some more. Was God being “more good” to me now? Was he just as good during the trials? Was he as good when I did not feel this overwhelming sense of his goodness? Am I experiencing his goodness more now? Well, to those questions I would ask, was God good when Joseph unjustly ended up in prison for something he did not do? Or Was God still good when Job lost, in an earthly sense, everything? What about when David was fleeing for his life? Was God good in each of those unique stories?

Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” We all can quote this verse, and I would venture to say we all claim we believe it. But how do we react when trials do come our way? Do our reactions reflect a convinced heart and trust in the implicit goodness of God?

Taking a deeper look into the 34th Psalm we see some intriguing conclusions from the writer. We often take verse 8 and quote it, but we don’t take the time to dig deeper into the rest of the passage. Let’s meditate a little together. Verse 19 tells us, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Afflictions are many. But God is still good? The psalmist confirms his own experience of suffering as still connected to God’s ultimate good purposes. As we continue in the chapter we are led right into the purpose of affliction. Verse 22 says, “The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” That is ultimate security. God has redeemed me, and there is no condemnation to fear! Wow, what a thought-provoking statement. The God of the universe has redeemed me! All because of Christ’s finished work on the cross. We can draw several conclusions from this text but let me leave you with three.

Our affliction should deepen our dependence on Christ. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The first point to recognize here is Christ’s strength being made known through our weakness. But how can we practically live out daily dependence on Christ? It really is not complex. Get in His word and accept your weaknesses as a platform for Christ to be made known! This kind of living must start with making His word your delight. We all delight in something. Whether it is your favorite dessert, favorite sports team, or maybe a significant other. We spend a lot of time cultivating the things we delight in. So, taking the time to deepen your walk with Christ will reflect a heart of dependence. The same is true of our prayer life. “Delight thyself also in the Lord. “ (Psalm 37:4)

Our affliction should further our awe of our holy God. “Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)

How does affliction connect our hearts to awe of God? Because his ways are far beyond our understanding. And that is okay. We may never understand why certain trials come our way, and that is okay too. We are not called to understand, but we are called to trust. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33) Being able to rest in not only His goodness but also his sovereignty is a precious gift.

Our affliction should lead us back to a heart of thankfulness that our eternity is secure in Christ with no condemnation to dread. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

To the believer, this truth of my justification is a doctrine that should lead to a continual heart of thankfulness for that which I could never deserve. To know God sees me as he sees His Son is the most secure fact. I love to remind myself and others that it is not based on my overwhelming love for God, although I desire to continue to grow in that, but this truth rests in His overwhelming love for me! In that is where I find full security. As I was dwelling on this theme of redemption, I was immediately reminded of a quote I memorized while a camper at The Wilds. “God is on a mission to redeem and restore fallen people to the likeness of His Son to the praise of His glory.” Why has God redeemed me? So I can become more like Christ and bring glory to His name.

Whether the molding of my life for God’s glory is produced by trials or in the “all is right in the world” moments, we can be assured that every step of the journey is for my good and His glory. Because God never leaves the scene, we know there is a purpose for everything we face. He has not forgotten about your story. God is by definition good. There is no goodness apart from Him, and there will never be anything that comes into your life outside of His good hand. Wherever you see goodness, you see God, and wherever you see God, you see His goodness. He makes no mistakes.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)