THE GOODNESS OF GOD
Watching a sunset is pleasant. Seeing the sky turn to golden hues and the sun melt into the horizon seems to chase away the cares off our shoulders. A sense of peace envelops one at that moment. Time indeed stands still.
Sunrises, at the break of day are pleasant as well. Especially for the early birds. Watching the day wake up, hearing nature call to itself and sing praises to God in their own voices brings cheer to one’s heart. It is pleasing and gets the day started in the right direction.
We are given a definition of what is deemed pleasant to God. Singing praise to His name. Are we limited to just Sundays at church, or could we, should we, sing praise throughout our week? While this verse does not suggest specific times, we can see in other places in Scripture how our posture should be before God, especially for specific occasions.
Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. James 5:13b (NIV)
The Greek word for happy is euthymeo and it means to cheer up, or to be cheerful. Can we be cheerful in this day and age? Yes, a thousand times, yes. At sunrise and sunset. At the coo of a newborn babe. Or the hug from a sweetheart or the smile from a cherished friend. And the Presence of God in our lives giving us endurance to keep going, with answers to long-asked for prayers.
Yes, we can and should choose to be cheerful.
It is in this place of happy, we are to sing unto God. Sing praises unto Him. At a loss of what your praise may look like? Or having to pull yourself up to actually sing songs of praise? It happens and life is indeed hard at times, but we do have a choice.
I have found a simple place to start. The ABC’s of praise. When I am at a loss of where to begin, I begin at the beginning.
A – I adore God
B – He is my Beloved
C – He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One
D – He is my daddy
E – He is eternal and His love for me is everlasting
And so on.
By the time I get to Z, my heart is not only singing praises, but is in awe of Him and His goodness. Usually, it causes me to take stock of how far I allowed myself to stray, because the cares life have beaten me down.
James, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, knew the key to unlock our stubborn heart: praise. The author of Psalm 135 knew it too. Recognize and acknowledge God as good, and great (verse 5); note what pleases Him.
The goodness of God does not depend upon our everchanging moods, feelings, and circumstances. He is good, all the time. It is when we acknowledge His goodness, the blessings come. The calm assurance all is well, even when it does not appear to be well. There is a deeper sense of wellness, joy and peace which is not identifiable in words or by the world’s standards, but as a believer knows – God’s peace which passes all understanding is palpable and real. (Philippians 4:7).
The first time our family got ill with covid, we were very sick. It was when we began to sing, praise and quote Scripture our hearts were lifted in praise and onto God and not on our circumstances, His peace wash over us. The song we sang? The Goodness of God. The Scripture we quoted most often, Psalm 23.
God met us where we were and carried us through those dark days. Now when we hear that song or read or recite that Psalm, our hearts are bound together in love for one another and for God and His goodness.
Yes, it is pleasant to sing praise to His name.
Father God, LORD and Saviour, You are good. And what You do is good. Thank You for giving me ample opportunities to praise You and the choice to praise You. It is out of my heart of thankfulness I praise You. It is from my love for You, I worship You. You are good and Your Presence is goodness itself. Thank You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. AMEN
