Psalm 119 † The Source of True Goodness

INTRODUCTION

Psalm 119:68 “You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.”

Thesis: God communicates his good nature to his people through his word.

Problem: How do we square the goodness of God with the troubles we face and the sin we participate in?

MEDITATE ON GOD’S CAPITAL “G” GOODNESS

Psalm 119:68 “You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.”

Exodus 34:6–7 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.””

God’s compassion flows out of his goodness and goodness without justice is not goodness. God spares us because he is good, but he could not be good if he were not just.

A. W. Tozer

Because of God’s goodness, justice, and mercy (displayed in Jesus’ work), all the circumstances of our lives lead to enjoying God’s goodness forever.

REMEMBER GOD’S LOWERCASE “g” GOODNESS

Psalm 119:122 “Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me.”

Matthew 7:11 “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Really compare what’s good to what is bad. (Perspective of problems is fixed by remembering blessings in Christ.)

Really consider the source of what isn’t going well right now.

Am I blaming God for what isn’t his fault?

Am I trusting God to use this for good?

MAKE GOODNESS ACTIVE

Psalm 119:66 “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.”

Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Is “goodness” something I am passively waiting to happen to me, or something I’m actively pursuing?

The cure to feeling far from “goodness” is to look outside of myself for it:

Look up to God’s goodness.

Look around for those you can share God’s goodness with.

The world thinks that happiness is the result of others serving us, but real joy comes when we serve others in the name of Christ.

Warren W. Wiersbe