Read Psalm 106:1-5. 1Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise? 3Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! 4Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, 5that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.
Psalm 106 begins in glorious fashion. Praise the Lord! Why? Because he is good. This is what theologians call the simplicity of God. God IS his nature. God isn’t good sometimes. He isn’t partly good. He doesn’t ever have to choose between being good and being something else (like angry or just). All his attributes are also who he is, and they all combine into who he is.
He is good!
Everything God does is good. All that he has ever done has been good. All he will ever do will be good. He has never not been good. Where would we be without this unconditional truth?
And yet we still struggle on a daily basis to affirm God’s goodness in our lives don’t we? We become what theologians call monopolytheists. Sure, we believe there is one God, but he is made up of many parts and you have to try to earn the good parts of God today (his love and kindness), and avoid the bad parts (his wrath and purity).
In the cross of Christ, we see, however, that God’s goodness manifests in every attribute equally. His cross is good, therefore, his love is good. His faithfulness is good. His justice is good. His purity is good. His justice is good. His wrath is good. And in Christ all of that goodness is in us. That’s why the psalmist can say blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!
To live is Christ is to be blessed with all the goodness that IS God. Goodness that allows us to observe and do. Grace that empowers our own true goodness as we, through Christ, participate in all that is God. All that is good.
Prayer. Jesus you are good. All that you are doing in and through my life is good. I confess I often don’t really believe this. Help me to stake my life upon it. Help me to do good FROM blessing not FOR blessing. Amen.
To Live is Christ 