Whether we walk with ease along mountain-top experiences or tread dark valleys, we could all use the reminder that the Lord is good to all. How reassuring that inclusive word “all” has become. No one left out. No one ignored, abandoned, or too far from His reach. God is good. Always good. Out of the abundance of His goodness, He extends His best to all those who trust in Him.
Honestly, I spent far too much of my life trying to run from God and everything He represented. No wonder I felt completely abandoned and outside the realm of His blessings. My temporary condition could never change His infinite goodness.
Psalm 23:6 sounds far too passive in many Bible translations. The Passion Translation perhaps captures the true essence more clearly:
“…Only goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life.”
Psalm 23:6
The Message Bible says, “Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.” God pursues us, chasing after us with His love.
Back then, I was like a little child, trying to outrun my Father. No one, not even I, could escape the truth of God’s Word and the faithfulness of His character.
He pursues us — all of us — every day, all the days of our lives. So, for those who are still running from God, maybe it’s time to slow down and take a second look at how good He is.
All
Fourteen times, God uses the word “all” in Psalm 145.
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
Psalm 145:8-9
The Lord is! Not might be. Not sometimes is. The Lord is! He was in the past and He will forever be good. His every intention for us is for our good and for the good of future generations.
“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.”
Psalm 145:13
No matter how hard we might look, we will find very few reliable things these days. In every generation, God proves He is both trustworthy and faithful. In the Message Bible, this verse reads, “God always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does.”
What does He say? What is His promise? The promise that He is good — incredibly good, consistently good, incomparably good. Yes, the Lord is good to all!
There is More
“The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.“
Psalm 145:14-15
We all fail, fall, and feel burdened at times. While some bend low in shame, others feel “down on their luck.” But God! But God holds us and lifts us all. No matter how low our low may become, God makes Himself available to lift us up, taking us to new levels and places we could never imagine.
May we begin to look to Him with expectancy, knowing and trusting in His goodness toward us all.
“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.”
Psalm 145:17
God stands alone as entirely righteous, faithful, and good in every dimension. The Lord is good to all!
The Lord is Near
For too many years, I felt God was distant. In reality, He was just a breath away.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
Psalm 145:18
In your own simple way, call on Him. Sincerity of heart, rather than eloquence of words, matters most when we talk to God. He hears and responds to both the smallest child and the master orator. When times get rough, we might believe that He only hears some people or other people. May we remember that wonderful little word again — “all”! The Lord is near to all!
Oh, my beautiful friends, may we grab hold of His Word with fresh faith.
“The Lord watches over all who love him…”
Psalm 145:20
Yes, the verse goes on to say, “but all the wicked He will destroy.” When left to ourselves, our quick judgements diminish the fullness of God’s grace. He knows those who genuine seek Him.
No matter where we find yourself now and no matter what we have done in the past, God’s goodness reaches to us. He is closer than we think and more loving than we could imagine — to us all.
Words of Promise
May these words of promise capture our hearts. May hope in the goodness of God fill the broken and empty chasms of pain and longing. We stand secure in the “all” to whom God speaks. He waits, willing to rush to our aid and ready to come to us in unexpected ways.
The Lord is good to all.
Dear friends, may we have eyes to see Him and hearts to believe.
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