The Inseparable Chains of God's Goodness and Love
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise? Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!" - Psalm 106:1-3
We step into new seasons full of things that can easily unsettle us. We face new goals at work and worry about how we will meet them. Students face new semesters and wonder how they will ever complete their assignments. Retirees watch their accounts and wonder if their funds will last. We naturally fear and worry. Our minds race to the worst-case scenario. In the middle of all this external chaos, we also wrestle internally with our remaining sin and the painful consequences of our past decisions. The Bible gives us a clear and comforting response to all of this anxiety. It tells us to look at the character of God. We must remember who He is in every circumstance, whether times are good or bad. He does not just intend to be good or try really hard to be good. He truly is good.
1. God Remembers His People and Promises (Verses 4-5)
The psalm begins with a powerful call to praise the Lord. The Hebrew word here is literally “hallelujah.” The psalmist asks the Lord to remember him and to show him favor. Why? Because God's goodness and His steadfast love are like two heavy chains that cannot be pulled apart. Because God is completely good and perfectly loving, He never forgets His covenant people. Nobody else in the universe is truly and genuinely good all the way through. Every human leader has limits to their love. People will eventually cut you off. But God remembers His people and keeps His promises to them.
2. He is Merciful Despite Our Consistent Sin (Verses 6-25)
The middle section of Psalm 106 is a sobering reminder of the sin and brokenness of the past. It recounts the consistent failures of God's people. They rebelled at the Red Sea, they grumbled in the wilderness, and they traded the glory of God for the image of a calf. It is very easy for us to read these stories and get pompous and judgmental toward Israel. Yet, we do the exact same things. We complain, we doubt, and we chase idols. Even still, when we keep messing everything up, God remains merciful. His love endures. This psalm is absolute proof of the enduring nature of His love toward a rebellious people.
3. He is Just in His Judgment (Verses 26-43)
Because God is perfectly good, He cannot simply ignore evil. Goodness requires justice. The text tells us that God's anger was kindled against His people because of their persistent rebellion. He handed them over to the nations and let them experience the bitter fruit of their choices. This shows us that God is completely just in His judgment. However, right in the middle of this judgment, we see hints of a mediator. Moses stands in the breach to turn away God's wrath. This points us beautifully to the ultimate Mediator, Jesus Christ, who would step into the breach for us and take the righteous judgment of God upon Himself.
4. He Acts for the Sake of His Praise (Verses 44-48)
The psalm concludes by showing us that despite everything, God looked upon their distress and remembered His covenant. He relented according to the abundance of His steadfast love. Why does God do all of this? He does it for the sake of His own praise. Verse 47 asks God to save them and gather them so they can give thanks to His holy name and glory in His praise. God's ultimate goal in linking His goodness and love toward us is the magnification of His own glory.
Are you convinced of His goodness today? If you are, the only logical response is praise. Whatever you are facing this year at work, at school, or in your finances, you can praise Him. Turn your anxieties into hallelujahs. God will love you to the very end, and He will use every circumstance in your life to bring glory to His name.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we praise You because You are perfectly good and Your love endures forever. We confess that we often step into new seasons carrying heavy burdens of fear, worry, and doubt. We look at our circumstances and struggle to trust Your plan. Please forgive us for our consistent grumbling and rebellion. Give us the grace to praise Your holy name in every situation we face this year. We pray this in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen.
We step into new seasons full of things that can easily unsettle us. We face new goals at work and worry about how we will meet them. Students face new semesters and wonder how they will ever complete their assignments. Retirees watch their accounts and wonder if their funds will last. We naturally fear and worry. Our minds race to the worst-case scenario. In the middle of all this external chaos, we also wrestle internally with our remaining sin and the painful consequences of our past decisions. The Bible gives us a clear and comforting response to all of this anxiety. It tells us to look at the character of God. We must remember who He is in every circumstance, whether times are good or bad. He does not just intend to be good or try really hard to be good. He truly is good.
1. God Remembers His People and Promises (Verses 4-5)
The psalm begins with a powerful call to praise the Lord. The Hebrew word here is literally “hallelujah.” The psalmist asks the Lord to remember him and to show him favor. Why? Because God's goodness and His steadfast love are like two heavy chains that cannot be pulled apart. Because God is completely good and perfectly loving, He never forgets His covenant people. Nobody else in the universe is truly and genuinely good all the way through. Every human leader has limits to their love. People will eventually cut you off. But God remembers His people and keeps His promises to them.
2. He is Merciful Despite Our Consistent Sin (Verses 6-25)
The middle section of Psalm 106 is a sobering reminder of the sin and brokenness of the past. It recounts the consistent failures of God's people. They rebelled at the Red Sea, they grumbled in the wilderness, and they traded the glory of God for the image of a calf. It is very easy for us to read these stories and get pompous and judgmental toward Israel. Yet, we do the exact same things. We complain, we doubt, and we chase idols. Even still, when we keep messing everything up, God remains merciful. His love endures. This psalm is absolute proof of the enduring nature of His love toward a rebellious people.
3. He is Just in His Judgment (Verses 26-43)
Because God is perfectly good, He cannot simply ignore evil. Goodness requires justice. The text tells us that God's anger was kindled against His people because of their persistent rebellion. He handed them over to the nations and let them experience the bitter fruit of their choices. This shows us that God is completely just in His judgment. However, right in the middle of this judgment, we see hints of a mediator. Moses stands in the breach to turn away God's wrath. This points us beautifully to the ultimate Mediator, Jesus Christ, who would step into the breach for us and take the righteous judgment of God upon Himself.
4. He Acts for the Sake of His Praise (Verses 44-48)
The psalm concludes by showing us that despite everything, God looked upon their distress and remembered His covenant. He relented according to the abundance of His steadfast love. Why does God do all of this? He does it for the sake of His own praise. Verse 47 asks God to save them and gather them so they can give thanks to His holy name and glory in His praise. God's ultimate goal in linking His goodness and love toward us is the magnification of His own glory.
Are you convinced of His goodness today? If you are, the only logical response is praise. Whatever you are facing this year at work, at school, or in your finances, you can praise Him. Turn your anxieties into hallelujahs. God will love you to the very end, and He will use every circumstance in your life to bring glory to His name.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we praise You because You are perfectly good and Your love endures forever. We confess that we often step into new seasons carrying heavy burdens of fear, worry, and doubt. We look at our circumstances and struggle to trust Your plan. Please forgive us for our consistent grumbling and rebellion. Give us the grace to praise Your holy name in every situation we face this year. We pray this in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen.
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