The Lord is Good

The Lord is Good

David continues with his invitation and reflection by encouraging other to experience God for themselves; then He provides the premise as to “why”….The LORD is GOOD!

This is important because Israel is surrounded by other nations that serve different pagan gods. Theses other gods are capricious, angry, temperamental and hard to please. So this is a revolutionary idea…THE LORD IS GOOD! HE IS GOOD HIS VERY CORE!

I know in our culture this statement can seem empty, because you constantly hear people stating, “God is good…all the time and all the time…Good is good”. and it sounds religious, feels empty and a whole lot churchy…but

the statement is NOT a religious or churchy statement IT IS A RELATIONAL STATEMENT; it is a statement that comes from a PERSONAL EXPERIENCE w/ God. “The LORD IS GOOD!”

It’s a covenant statement …It is a sacred promise between God and His People.

**There are many promises, regarding the goodness of God, in the Word of God for God’s people, but I just want to focus your attention on just ONE of our covenant promises.

Isaiah 41:10 God promises “…. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

This is a covenant promise of God’s goodness toward you and I! God’s right hand is symbolic of HIS SOVEREIGNTY and POWER over EVERYTHING! He is PROMISING to USE HIS UNLIMITED POWER and CONTROL over EVERYTHING in ORDER to SUPPORT YOU! {look at somebody and tell’em…THE LORD IS GOOD!}

Numbers 23:19 “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

David is testifying to US that we can COUNT and DEPEND on this COVENANT.

David was so confident in this COVENANT of GOODNESS that in

Psalm 27:13 he says“I would have lost heart, UNLESS I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living…”

Many of us today, are like David was in 1 Samuel, we are going through; NOT IN ONE WAY, but in many different ways; some in your health, emotions, financially or career, or a major DECISION or a hurting or troubled relationship in your family or a close friend. We are surrounded by trouble we you can’t solve, situation you can’t change, trying to move your lives forward and it seems all you find are road blocks….

DON’T “lose heart” if everything is Not good RIGHT NOW…BELIEVE IN THE GOODNESS OF GOD…BELIEVE THAT ITS FOR YOU AND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE IT!

This is why David begins Psalms 34:8 by saying “Taste ad See”; because He wants for God’s people to try and experience God for themselves.

2. It’s a statement about His character…(THE LORD IS GOOD)….It’s descriptive of the faithful and constant character of God and his action towards His people…again David is encouraging Israel that we don’t serve a God who doesn’t care or who isn’t aware.

In Mark 10:18 a man came running up to Jesus, knelt down before him and said, “good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life.”

Jesus answers the question by first focuses on how the man called him “good”. HERE is an important lesson that we need to grab and make it a part of our fundamental understanding about God. ONLY GOD IS GOOD. In (James 1:17 it say “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” ).

You don’t ever have to be in fear on HOW GOD will answer your prayers or move in your life….HIS CHARACTER IS GOOD and UNCHANGING

People try to be good, but GOD IS GOOD. People often times intend to be good but have hidden agendas that ultimately serve ONLY their purpose. (For example: As a father, my greatest desire for my children, is that they do well…even in my most honest attempt to advise/counsel or be blessing….my personal agenda is always present…and unfortunately it may not be the BEST GOOD for them.) Which is why when David; discovered that Achish wanted an audience with him, David became afraid. Because you never really know what is in the heart of an individual. They may smile in your face; but devise your demised in their heart.

But that’s not true of God…His character is good. Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

The question then that pops up in my mind where God is concern is: What, then, is good?

is this a promise that God will only allow positive and happy things to take place in our lives? Remember Psalms 34 is David’s reflection over his life…He is looking back on 1 Sam 21: 10-14 where he remember running for His life…Saul is hunting him down with the intent to kill him…then when he finally finds rest Achish discover he is in his territory and David is terrified of his intentions….Where is the good?

It is often difficult to discern the goodness of God “as you are going through”

We know the end result of David’s life…HE ends up as one of the most celebrated kings in Israel’s history. But David didn’t know the ups and the downs, the heartbreaks or the loses that he would experience along the way.

We must understand what David is trying to emphasis in His reflection. The circumstance can often be bad, but God is still good. His character and HIS intent towards us doesn’t change; even as we live through dark days…Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

In others words; when we talk about the goodness of God; We must understand that God is considering the “long view” of our lives. Right now it may not be good; but God is still working….God has a plan…God has a future for you…He has a hope for you!

In other words, what am I saying: What is the covenant of goodness?

—> IT is God’s promise to you regarding the finish result of whatever God is current doing in your life…IT WILL BE GOOD!

UNITL THEN