“[Oh] how great [is] thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; [which] thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” (Ps 31:19 AV)
I was reminded last night how good the LORD has been. And will be. As is my custom, I try to fall off to sleep while in prayer. This is not always possible. Keeping the mind concentrated on a conversation while slumber arrives is not always possible. Last night, the LORD brought to mind just how blessed we are. In my life, I have much to be thankful for. Anything to the contrary has been self-inflicted. Even so, those times were still filled with the mercy and goodness of God. God can do all things. He didn’t have to create us. Knowing just how short I would fall, He could have rethought the whole idea of my existence. Yet, the goodness of the LORD declared, let him come forth. Before the creation of the world, He knew all the choices we would make. He would know all that we failed to do that would please Him. All this He knew, yet He still created.
Lately, the Spirit has reminded this soul of the greatest of all blessings. I look forward to perfection. I look forward to the old man being completely destroyed. I look forward to never having to battle with temptation. I look forward to perfect Christlikeness in thought, action, and demeanor. But these things are not the greatest of all manifestations of God’s goodness. I look forward to eternal fellowship with the saints in glory. I can only imagine what heaven will be like with countless voices united in perfect voice to praise the God of all things. The golden streets, the mansions, the river of life are all things to appreciate and anticipate. But the greatest of all extension of God’s goodness is His presence. To be in the presence of our Savior with the need of the eyes of faith is the greatest of all blessings. God is good because He created us to know Him.
When we go soul-winning, it is often with the idea of rescuing those headed for certain destruction. Hell is mentioned hundreds of times. The Savior tells of the suffering of the rich man therein. We share how forgiveness is freely available in the person of Jesus Christ, so no one will have to eternally suffer for their sin. It has to be that way because the sinner wants nothing to do with God. The worst-case scenario is our starting point because in our depravity, we want nothing of the goodness of God. If only they understand how much different life could be knowing and walking with God. Blessings abound. Especially for those who fear God. As I fell asleep, the Spirit brought to mind just how good God has been. Another thought also occurred. The Spirit asked of how much of God’s blessings and goodness have been sent my way without any knowledge on my part. That is telling. He was absolutely right. There is far more that God has done for me than that which I have noticed. The goodness of God abounds. We have no right to complain. God is good all the time. Especially towards those who love Him and fear Him.
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