The Greatness of the Goodness of God

Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! Psalm 31:19 NKJV.

There’s a saying which goes like this; Perception is reality.

“Perception moulds, shapes, and influences our experience of our personal reality,” says Linda Humphreys, PhD, a psychologist and life, relationship, and spirituality coach.  “Perception is merely a lens or mindset from which we view people, events, and other things.”

In other words, we believe what we perceive to be accurate, and we create our own realities based on those perceptions.  And although our perceptions feel very real, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily factual, or the truth.

Perception means the act or faculty of perceiving or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind.  It means cognition, understanding, immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities.  (www.dictionary.com.)

This is important, because sometimes we even perceive things about God and ourselves that are just plain wrong.  But to us at the time we are convinced that the way we see things, the way we understand things about God and ourselves are right.  But the truth and facts sometimes prove us wrong.

How do you see God, yourself and others?  What is God like to you?  What are His attributes in your experience?  What do you believe and perceive about yourself?

Here’s the thing.

The level of our Revelation determines the level of our Reality.

The extent of our Understanding determines the extent of our Existing.

The proportion of our Perceiving determines the proportion of our Prevailing.

The calibre of our View determines the calibre of our Vocation.

Our text for this Brief Word says that God is good.  Most of us would entirely agree with that statement.

But some people have a problem at times with what they think God has or hasn’t done.  They have a view, a perspective, a perception of what they think God is like, and when things don’t happen according to that perception, they begin to think that God doesn’t measure up, or that He is deficient or unable or for whatever reason, He isn’t able to deliver what they thought He would or should.

They wonder why God would do that to me, or why He did not stop that happening.  Therefore, they have a view of God which is actually incorrect.  It becomes an erroneous view of who God is.  Because they wonder why God did these bad things to them, God must be bad or at the least not that very good.

But they fail to understand that God is totally good, therefore all He does is good, all He does is motivated by His goodness, His identity, His being.  Even when bad things happen to us, God allowed it, to show us His glory at some point.  To cause us to grow in the knowledge of Him and His grace, and to see His hand at work.

When it comes to worship, this issue is fascinating.  We worship God (or should do) not so much for what He does, but because of who He is.  Yes, He does good things, of which Salvation is the greatest miracle.  But everything God does, is an issue of His goodness.  We need to see this, we need to grasp this truth, that God is fully good.  As such our worship is due to Him on that basis.  He is God, Master, totally and completely Lord, the Almighty.  When we come to Him and offer worship just on that basis, we are engaging in true worship, in spirit and in truth.  That to me is true worship.

Of course, God does things on the earth and in our lives, which causes us to worship Him more.  He does things which are always good things because He is good, so we praise and worship Him in response.  That’s an appropriate response.

But worship that is only as a result of the things He does, or worship that is in constant connection to our realm, our world, what is going on in our lives and our needs which we want Him to meet, is not all there is, it is shallow worship.  Worship praise and thanksgiving should not have the meeting of our needs, as large and painful and real as they are, as the reason or focus, because we have ample reason enough in who God is.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8 NKJV.

God’s goodness is who He is, that’s His identity.  God’s works are what He does, that’s His activity.  Identity always comes before activity.  Everything God does – His activity – springs from who He is – His identity.

But note that the Psalmist says we are to give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.  Then, for His wonderful works.

Here’s an exercise to try.  Go on, do it with me!  Maybe in your next personal quiet time, when you’re alone, or, when you’re in the house of God worshiping with the saints, try worshipping God, praising Him, glorifying Him, exalting Him, without mention at all of our situation, of what He has done for us, physically, spiritually, or any of our needs, in any way.  Just purely and only for who He is.

Some of us will run out of things to say after a short while.  Maybe we need to learn more about who God is, and what His Divine attributes are.  An exercise like that helps to shift the focus off us and onto God, where it belongs.

The Psalms are full of this theme, the goodness of God.  Here’s just a few.

• He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 35:5 NKJV
• Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. Psalm 52:1 NKJV
• Blessed is the man You choose, And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple. Psalm 65:4 NKJV
• For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:9 NKJV
• Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1 NKJV

No matter what we think, God’s word is truth.  It always was and always will be.  Let’s fill our mind with the things God says.

God is totally good.

That’s the best perspective.

Image by James Wheeler from Pixabay

Coming Soon!

Special Update for Brief Word readers.

My next book, Finishing Well — How to Complete Your Course and Leave a Legacy, is about to enter the production phase, for release in September.

It’s about running well and finishing the course of life we have each been assigned.  It’s about leaving a legacy.  It’s about eight key attributes we need to adopt, eight mind-sets that once we receive believe and live, will change our behaviour character and destiny.

What they’re saying

• This book is a gift of wisdom and encouragement to all.
  Ryan Kilfoil – Businessman Tauranga New Zealand.
• Stephen has written a masterpiece in my opinion.
  Pastor David Dishroon – Co-Senior Pastor of Changepoint Church, Tauranga New Zealand.
• Finishing Well is a gem of a book.
  Karen McMillan, Author, Auckland, New Zealand.
• I recommend you to this Spiritual classic.
  Pastor Moses Odindo, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa.

It is very exciting!

Please pray with us for a smooth preparation, production and publication process and for the funds needed to publish it.  Thank you!

Advance notice – Book Launch: Planned for Monday 19 September 2022, 7.00pm at The Atrium Café, Tauranga.

More information will be out soon about pre Book Launch orders and other details!

Thank you!