“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

Psalm 107:8-9 KJV

The goodness of God is poured out upon all of humanity. The scripture reminds us that the Lord provides sunshine and rain for everyone; both the redeemed and the unredeemed. (Matthew 5:45). In a farming economy, the proper amounts of sun and rain are essential to having a good harvest. In other words, both the redeemed and the unredeemed experience the goodness of God. But only the redeemed have the ability to recognize it.

To the unredeemed, good things are considered as luck, chance, or happenstance. But to the redeemed, good things are recognized as the favor and blessing of God! The redeemed recognize that the source of all blessings comes from God! The unredeemed, because of the darkness of their mind, are blinded to the source of all blessings. The scripture reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17).

Because of our relationship with God the Father, through the finished work of Christ, and the revelation of the Holy Spirit within us, our eyes have been opened to the reality of God’s continuous blessing in our lives. We are able to recognize the goodness of God! As a result, we are (or should be) moved with a desire to give honor, glory, and praise to the One who has blessed us so abundantly!

However, even the redeemed can get so busy with the daily demands of life that we can take the blessings of God for granted. It is important, therefore, for us to take some time each day to reflect on the faithfulness of God and the goodness of God in our lives. When we do, our hearts will be filled with a greater consciousness of God and His goodness! Which will cause our hearts to overflow with gratitude and praise toward Him!

Rev. James Black