Monday, June 1, 2015

The Source of Goodness

 

[Photo of a man with raised arms standing in the sunlight in a field]


“Who can proclaim the mighty acts of
the Lord or fully declare his praise?”
—Psalm 106:2

I spent most of my adult life working in the field of fire protection, first as a fire fighter and fire marshal, and later as a fire protection engineer. Whenever our investigative team would examine the scene of a fire, we would always strive to identify the source of ignition. What started the fire?

Whether we look at bad things or good things, there’s always a source. So, what is the source of goodness in our lives?

The Psalmist talks about this very subject in Psalm 106:1-5:

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise?

Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.

Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.

It’s really quite clear. God is the source of all that is good. No good thing exists apart fro God’s mercy, grace, and love.

When we observe goodness, we can see the hand of God’s prevailing goodness. Even when certain things in our daily lives may not seem to be going exactly the way we want them to go, if we carefully examine the rest of our existence we will likely see plenty of evidence of God graciously at work in our behalf.

It is God’s favor that brings out the very best in those He lives. His kindness is so pervasive that it literally marks His children.

Are you a believer? Then look with awe at your life and see the goodness of God making you good.

Once you realize how fortunate you are, give God praise for who He is.

 

Copyright © 2015 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.