By Ptr. E. J., Saturday, July 25, 2015

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

–Psalms 34:8

The Christian life starts by faith and continues to live by faith

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?  –Galatians 3:1-3

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. –Galatians 3:11

It takes faith to truly believe in God’s goodness

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

–Psalms 34:8

When we fail to believe in God’s goodness…

• We doubt and sin

And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. –Romans 14:23

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

–James 1:6-8

• We are inclined to rely on our own and depart from God.

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.  –Jeremiah 17:5-6

• We become proud and rely on our own goodness and works.

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? –Obadiah 1:3

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

–Isaiah 64:6

The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. –Daniel 4:30-32

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME

And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. –Deuteronomy 6:24

Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God. –Deuteronomy 12:28

And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.

–Deuteronomy 26:11

And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

–Deuteronomy 8:2                       

Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

–Deuteronomy 8:16

Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. –John 6:31

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. –Matthew 4:4

GOD IS GOOD EVEN IN TIMES WHEN WE FAIL

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

–Deuteronomy 31:6

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

–Psalms 37:23-25

               For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

–Psalms 100:5

Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

–Psalms 25:8

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

–Psalms 103:8-11

GOD IS GOOD EVEN IN TIMES OF TRIALS

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

–James 1:2-4

How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. –2 Corinthians 8:2

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: –1 Peter 1:7

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

–1 Peter 4:12-13

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  –Romans 8:28

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

–1 Thessalonians 5:18

GOD IS GOOD EVEN IN TIMES OF CHASTISEMENT

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? –Hebrews 12:5-9

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

–Proverbs 3:11

Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. –Proverbs 15:10

He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

–Proverbs 10:17

GOD IS GOOD BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

–Numbers 23:19

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

–Romans 3:4

Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:  –Hebrews 6:17-18

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. –Isaiah 55:11

And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

–Revelation 22:6

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

–2 Timothy 2:13

RESULTS OF SEEING GOD’S GOODNESS

Worship and sing praises because God is good.

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

–2 Chronicles 5:13

And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

–Ezra 3:11

Do what the Lord requires you and be humble

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

–Micah 6:8

Trust and Find Protection in Him

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

–2 Samuel 22:3