For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations. Psalm 100:5 AMPC
Context and Charge:
No one is directly credited with this psalm, but we know it has a powerful message relevant to our time. The verses before today's extract lays the foundation for the rest of the passage, and it is this: a personal knowledge of God is fundamental to how I life, and the priorities I pursue. I can only pretend for a while, and because pretence is difficult to sustain in its pure form forever, it is likely that the real deal will be revealed. Do I know this God? Before I can claim that God is good, I must have experienced His good, and also experienced what may be defined as 'bad'. After all, how would I fully appreciate God's good if I haven't seen the effect and power of evil?
The statement about God being good is factual, and backed up by plenty of evidence in support. Take a look at the world around you and you will see the evidence. God's mercy and loving-kindness is presented here as being everlasting. That tells me that long after all the evil of this world has been finally and permanently terminated, God's nature endures forever. Forget what the world tries to convince you is real; the gift of freewill places the responsibility of choice and its consequences on me. I have all the information required to help me make the right choice, and I can't then turn around and blame God for the consequences of that choice.
Conviction and Conclusion:
God is good, no matter how much evil the world elevates or celebrates. God wants my heart to be settled on his nature presented here. He knows that my heart can be easily swayed, so he presents himself as an anchor for my soul. He tells me the eternal ramifications of his nature, his power and his blessings. I don't only get to enjoy the good He has provided me on this side of heaven, but I also have the assurance that the joy continues even into eternity. What better offer is there? Who else can give me anything that is bigger and better than these? I must not let the lie of the devil discourage or distract me; God impacts both the earthly and the eternal.
I also note that God's faithfulness and truth endure to all generations. That is also his nature. That which he called sin to Adam is still sin to us today. God is not like man, making compromises just because He wants to be liked. David was loved by God, and even got an eternal kingship, yet he was punished by God when he sinned. Eli was the beneficiary of a permanent priesthood, but after he ignored continuous warnings by God about the conduct of his sons, God terminated his lineage and started a new one. Let this be a warning to all of us: God is bound by his nature to honour those who love and respect his Word. He will not bend that for anyone. God's time of favour is here.
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