Devotion: There are days that stick out in my life where I was completely aware of God’s goodness. My wedding day, the days where we found out that we were going to have a baby, and the birth of our children, to name a few. There are also some days that are less significant where I have recognized the goodness of God: taking my kids to the park on a nice day, singing songs to Him at church, or even taking a slow morning on my deck while I drink a coffee. It can be easy to see His goodness when things are going well.
But that perspective is shifted all too easily when things are not going well for us. In the midst of grief, depression, and anxiety, we can question God and wonder if He is good at all. Our Psalm for today invites us not simply into the knowledge that God is good, but rather to truly experience that goodness. Through this passage of Scripture, we are also reminded that God sees us and He hears our cries. He is always near and always good.
“I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned” (Psalm 34, emphasis added).
Let us find comfort in that today.
Reflect:
- Name some times that God’s goodness has been both evident to you and also less evident.
- Praise God that He is always good! Pray that He would help you be reminded of that today.