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Tag: God is good

Thanksgiving Series: God is good

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On November 30, 2015

In Christian, Thanksgiving

Psalm 136 can be touted as the “The Psalm of Thanks” or the “Thanksgiving Psalm.” It is a Psalm that is rich in content, apropos the character of God and since each verse in the Psalm is suffixed with “For his mercy endures forever”, it is a Psalm that is easy to read and memorize as well.

We celebrated Thanksgiving this past week and are entering into the Christmas season. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, giving thanks for the ultimate reason of sending us his only begotten Son, we will be looking at each verse in this Psalm and glean out the character of God from these verses, which would be reason enough to be grateful and give thanks to our LORD God.

Today we look at Verse 1.
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

We can give thanks because first and foremost we can see here that the Lord is GOOD. Even when man disobeyed the Lord, by eating from the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3), God did not show his bad side to man but instead channelled his wrath toward his innocent creation and cursed the land so that man need not be cursed. He further demonstrated his good side (love) toward man, so much so, that he cursed (Galatians 3:13) and poured out his only begotten son (John 3:16), forsaking him on the Cross of calvary (Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46), to bear our sin (badness) (1 Peter 2:24). O taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).

Points to ponder:
Man lost his experience of seeing the good side of God perpetually by eating from the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3). Man can regain his experience of seeing the good side of God perpetually by taking in (as in the Lord’s supper) the forsaken tree of life (which is Jesus Christ). O taste and see that the Lord God (Jesus Christ) is good.

Have you experienced the goodness of God? Even when things around and in your life don’t seem to be good, the goodness of God never wavers. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good.

Psalm 136:1 (KJV)
1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Nahum 1:7 – The Good Lord is a strong hold and he knows

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On August 7, 2013

In Christian, Nahum, Through the Bible

Nahum 1:7 reads, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him.”

Many times, in Psalm 136, we are counseled to give thanks to the LORD for he is good (Psalm 136:1-26). Jesus said, that he is the good Shepherd and he knows his sheep (John 10:14). Sheep trust their Shepherd to keep them safe, secure and satisfied for the good Shepherd leads his sheep by still (peaceful) waters and green (productive) pastures. Sheep that wander away are lost but the good Shepherd comes seeking for the lost (Luke 15:4-7). Many a times, like sheep, we wander away from the presence of God and get lost, but because the Lord is good, and he knows who are his (2 Timothy 2:19), he instructs sinners (us) in his ways (Psalm 25:8). Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19).

God is a strong hold – he is a strong foundation and his solid foundation stands firm (2 Timothy 2:19). He holds on strongly to those who trust in him amidst the tempestuous storms of troubles, that buffet against their lives. Because God is the stronghold in the times of troubles, the Lord is the Salvation to the righteous (Psalm 37:39), who trust in him and who believe in his name. When the shepherd boy David faced the giant Goliath, he went forth holding on to the name of the Lord (1 Samuel 17:45) and God held on to him as he faced the giant, giving him victory, which in human minds seemed implausible and impossible.

Points to ponder:
Jesus is the good Shepherd coming in search of you and me. Only in him, can we be safe, secure and satisfied. We who confess his name, must turn away from wickedness and hold on strongly to him. He will never leave us nor forsake us and he will hold on to us strongly, and is therefore our Salvation, no matter how gigantic our troubles may be.
O taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8), bless is the man who trusteth in God, for God knows them that trust in him. Does God know you?

Nahum 1:7 (KJV)
7 The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

2 Timothy 2:19 (KJV)
19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.“

Psalm 34:8 (KJV)
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Be ye Steadfast :: In your belief in God

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On July 16, 2012

In Be ye steadfast, Christian

The Bible counsels us to be steadfast (1 Corinthians 15:58). Recently, after my beloved wife, Sangeetha checked the weight of our darling 6 year old firstborn son, Reuben’s, she was concerned as he had no change in weight for a considerable period of time. Out of love and concern, she was counseling him that he ought to eat well so that he can grow physically. When they were sharing the constancy of his weight with me, I used the opportunity to jokingly express to Reuben, that when we teach him, that he ought to be like Jesus, the same yesterday, today and for ever, the matter of his weight is not what we were talking about. Reuben asked me, “Really, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and for ever?” and I responded affirmatively and assuredly, “Absolutely!”

The Bible teaches us that Jesus is stedfast; the same yesterday, today and for ever (Hebrews 13:8). He is good and his mercies are stedfast (endures for ever) (Psalm 136). Even Darius, a foreign king, recognized this, when Daniel, was miraculously saved from the lions, by God, who sent his angel to shut the mouth of the lions, because Daniel believed in God (Daniel 6:22-23). And when Darius recognized this, he made a decree that in every dominion of his own kingdom, men should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. Why? Because God is a living God and stedfast for ever and God’s kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be unto the end (Daniel 6:26).

Points to ponder:
God is a good God and his mercies endures for ever. He is a living and stedfast God. Do you and I tremble and fear before this living and stedfast God, who is the same yesterday, today and for ever? Are we stedfast in our belief as was Daniel? Is our belief so stedfast (unmoveable) that the kings (rulers/powers/authorities) of this world would recognize the indestructible nature of God’s kingdom and his very own nature as Sovereign (ruling over all), Stedfast and Living?

Daniel 6:22-23…26 (KJV)
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
…
26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever [is stedfast].

Psalm 136:1-26 (KJV) 
1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth [is stedfast] for ever.

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