Psalms 34:8 NKJV
”Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!“
INSIGHT
–Jesus died, resurrected and ascended into heaven for His goodness and love endures forever. There is no greater love than what Jesus offers us, that He lay His life for us His friends (John 15:13). We now have access to His grace and have peace with God having been justified through faith and rejoice in hope of His glory (Romans 5:1-2). God is good and invite us during this Easter to draw near to Him, and experience His love and the goodness surrounding Him. Jesus offers us protection, direction, peace, forgiveness, wisdom and more. Jesus reminds us to put all our faith and trust in Him and take refuge in Him in all circumstances whether good or bad. He calls us to run to Him in all situations whether little or big. It is during such times when we learn to truly taste and see that the Lord is truly good. God has met our needs and continues to do so. He has provided for us, protected us, sustained us, directed us and He calls us blessed. Therefore, we have every reason to believe in Him for what He has done and trust that what is yet to be fulfilled He will surely bring it completion at His appointed time.
PRAYER
We give thanks to You Lord, for You are good and Your steadfast love endures forever. You have delivered us from our distress when we call to You and trust in You. You have loved us with such great love that You died for us and have risen so that we have hope of glory in You. You have always provided for us, sustained us, protected us, give us peace and loved us, we thank You. We have tasted of Your goodness and proclaim it to the world. We shall not be silent, but we will continually declare of Your goodness and love in all the earth. We shall not fear for You are with us and will deliver us from every situation that we are faced with in our lives, families, communities, churches and nation for we trust in You. We believe that You shall continue to answer us even during this new month for You are good and Your love endures forever. You have set us free from curses and demonic chains, we believe in You dear Jesus, and Your power and trust in You in all situations. May You set all Your children free completely merciful Lord and grant us all Your gift of salvation. We thank You for loving us and blessing us. We believe that since we died with You, we shall surely live with You. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in Your house forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: Psalms 23:6, Romans 6:8
Psalms 31:19 NKJV
”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!“
INSIGHT
–David’s confidence in the Lord became a testimony to God’s people. God imparts His children with His goodness so that they may become like Him. It is His goodness that flows down to sons of God in the waiting of creation (Romans 8:19). God’s goodness powered by His grace is therefore manifested by our good deeds where many see and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). God’s goodness and saving help is available to those who fear Him. We are called to fear our God and trust in Him, and His goodness shall overflow in us and through us for the glory of His name.
PRAYER
Great are You Lord and greatly to be praised. Your greatness is unsearchable. One generation praises Your works to another and declares Your mighty acts. We will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts and we will declare Your greatness. We continually utter the memory of Your great goodness and sing of Your righteousness, we anchor ourselves to Your goodness. You Lord are gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. You Lord are good to all, and Your tender mercies are over all Your works. May You have mercy on us Your children and grant Your overflowing goodness that we may continually do good deeds for the glory of Your name. May You transform us to be more like You dear Jesus, that we may represent You well and Your purposes here on earth. May You fill us afresh Holy Spirit and reveal Your purposes to us as it is in heaven. May You intervene in the current doctors strike and grant us rest in this matter. May You unto lift us and our economy so that we may take new territories in the areas of business and finance for the glory of Your name. May You send help from heaven and answer our prayers and deepest hearts desires according to Your merciful love and everlasting goodness. We pray this believing and trusting in Jesus mighty name. Amen
Further reading: Psalms 145:3-9
1 Chronicles 16:34-36 NIV
”Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”
INSIGHT
–God is worthy of all our praise. Due to His goodness, all creation praise Him. God is gracious, kind and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. God is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works. God is the Creator of heavens and the earth and all that is in them, and for He His marvelous works we shall continually praise Him.
PRAYER
Great is thy faithfulness Oh Lord our God. You are Great and greatly to be praised. Lord You are our portion we hope in You. Lord You are good to those who wait on You. You are full of compassion and gracious in kindness Your praises shall continually be on our lips. Lord Your mercies are new every morning, may You forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We shall wait quietly on Your salvation Lord our God for You are good and Your love endures to all generations. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen
Further reading: Lamentations 3:22-26, Psalms 145:8-10
James 1:17-18 NKJV
”Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.“
INSIGHT
–God’s goodness is reflected in the gifts that He releases unto us. God has released unto us every spiritual blessing unto us from the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). Once we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we partake of the journey of spiritual enlightenment through salvation and the Holy Spirit grants us the gifts of faith, wisdom, word of knowledge, discernment of spirits, talking in different tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, healing, teaching according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:8-11). The Holy Spirit also fills us with the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control according to His grace (Galatians 5:22-23). We are then reminded of God’s ability to work through us as the first fruits of His creation to cause exultation to Him through His good gifts, fruits, word and work.
PRAYER
Lord You are Good and Your goodness is eternal. You are Good to all who diligently seek You. Lord You give good gifts to men and those gifts are irrevocably by Your divine enablement and grace. Jehovah You are mighty and faithful, Your grace and love are infinite. We thank You for the gifts that You have granted us and ask You for the grace to exercise them faithfully according to Your purposes for us that we may achieve everything that You have designed for us at Your appointed time. May You fill us with all fruits and the relevant gifts that we need to do the work that You have called us to do well for the glory and honor of Your name. May You transform us by the renewing of our minds that we may prove Your good, acceptable and perfect will. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: Romans 12:1-8
Mark 10:18-22 NKJV
”So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.“
INSIGHT
–Jesus in this parable was not denying His own goodness but He was encouraging the young rich man to recognize that his only hope is in the total reliance on God, Who is the source of eternal life. He pointed the man to the deity and sovereignty of God Who owns the heavens and the earth and all that is in them including the wealth that the man had. Therefore, He was encouraging the young man to continue keeping His commands and get rid of the obstacle that was blocking him from completely trusting in Jesus and focus on storing his treasures in heaven where there is moth nor rust and thieves cannot steal (Matthew 6:19-21). Goodness of God is then equated to love, for God is good and He is also love. God has commanded us to love Him with all our hearts, strength, minds and souls and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
SUMMARY
God is good all the time, and all the time God is good and that is His nature. This statement is well articulated and backed up scripturally as we have reviewed this week. As we meditate on God’s goodness, we see His love portrayed through His generous attitude towards all creation. In His nature God longs to bring joy and blessing to all His creation. God loves righteousness and justice and the earth is full of His goodness (Psalm 33:5). God is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6). We are therefore called to trust in Him, and taste of His goodness (Psalms 34:8) as we believe in Jesus Christ. God therefore releases His good gift to His children for He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God grants us every perfect gift that His will and purposes may take place through us the firstfruits of His creation (James 1:17-18). We are therefore called to give thanks to the Lord always for He is goodness and love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34-36).
PRAYER
Lord You are Great and greatly to be praise, You exulted high above every creature. Great is Your goodness Oh Lord which You have laid up for those who fear You. Great is Your goodness Lord to all those who trust in You. Some trust in horse’s others trust in chariots but we put all our trust in You Lord our God. May You teach us to do Your will and to be selfless and humble as You are for You humbled Yourself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross for our sins. At Your name Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ You are Lord to the glory of God the Father. May You help us to be compassionate and kind to others and share love, the love that only You can give. May You bless us and keep us dear Lord Jesus. May You shine Your face towards us and be gracious unto us. May You show Your countenance unto us and give us peace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen
Further reading: Philippians 3:5-11