Goodness!
"Oh
that men would praise the LORD for His goodness and for His
wonderful works to the children of men!" Psalm
107:8, 15, 21 and 31. Four times this verse is repeated
in Psalm 107. Consider the other messages the Holy Spirit
shared through David in this passage.
"O
give thanks unto the LORD for He is good and His mercy endures
for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has
redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered them out
of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north,
and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary
way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their
soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And
He led them forth by the right way that they might go to a
city of habitation.
"Oh
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His
wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the
longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.
"Such
as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound
in affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the
words of God, and scorned the counsel of the most High. Therefore
He brought down their heart with labor, they fell down, and
there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought
them out of darkness and the shadow of death and break their
bands in sunder.
"Oh
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His
wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken
the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
"Fools
because of their transgression and because of their iniquities
are afflicted. Their soul abhors all manner of meat and they
draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the
Lord in their trouble and He saves them out of their distresses.
He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from
their destructions.
"Oh
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His
wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice
the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with
rejoicing.
"They
that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great
waters; these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in
the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind which
lifts up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they
go down again to the depths, their soul is melted because
of trouble. They real to and fro and stagger like a drunken
man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord
in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses.
He makes the storm calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Then they are glad because they be quiet, so He brings them
to their desired haven.
"Oh
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His
wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him
also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in
the assembly of the elders.
He turns
rivers into a wilderness, and the water springs into dry ground,
a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them
that dwell therein. He turns the wilderness into a standing
water and dry ground into water springs; and there He makes
the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation,
and sow fields and plant vineyards which may yield fruits
of increase. He blesses them also so that they are multiplied
greatly, and suffers not their cattle to decrease.
"Again,
they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction
and sorrow. He pours contempt upon princes and cases them
to wander in the wilderness where there is no way. Yet setteth
He the poor on high from affliction and makes him families
like a flock. The righteous shall see it and rejoice, and
all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
"Whoso
is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand
the loving kindness of the Lord!" Psalm 107.
Psalm
31:19, "Oh how great is thy goodness, which you have
laid up for them that fear You; which you have wrought for
them that trust in you before the sons of men!"
"Behold
therefore the goodness and severity of God; on them that fell,
severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His
goodness; otherwise you also shall be cut off" Romans
11:22.
The story
is told of an old Cherokee Indian grandfather who told his
grandson, "My son, there is a battle between two wolves
inside us all. One is evil; it is anger, jealousy, greed,
resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is good;
it is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy
and truth." The boy thought about it, and asked, "Grandfather,
which wolf wins?" The old man quietly replied, "The
one you feed."
Do you
despise "the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads
you to repentance?" Romans 2:4. Do not despise the One
"that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own
blood!" Rev. 1:5.
Goodness
is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians
5:22)
|
