Post 15 in Lifting up the Soul
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! – Psalm 25:7bASV
God exalts David and puts his life before our eyes in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the inspired writers refer back to him. God never forgot or neglected David. And David responded with touching psalms and obedience. David also tried to reciprocate his love with the plan to build God’s temple. The temple would be a permanent structure instead of a tent or tabernacle.
O Jehovah our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thy holy name cometh of thy hand, and is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, that are present here, offer willingly unto thee. O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee; and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision.
-1 Chronicles 29:16-19
Buildings are a memorial to us humans. They establish us and ground us in a sense of belonging to a time and place. David wanted the temple to keep Israel focused on their God. While He told David that his heart was in the right place, God did not want David to build His temple. “Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house for my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart:” (2 Chronicles 6:8-9). The word ‘well’ is another word for good. God is the One Who makes things good. So, when He tells David that he has done well, or good, this is high praise. The goodness of David to remember God with a temple came from a greater goodness in God. David reveals in Psalm 25 that God remembers “for the sake of [His] goodness.” God said David’s intention for building the temple was “good,” but David uses a slightly different word when he speaks of God’s goodness. It means the very best. David calls on this beautiful characteristic, God’s very best-ness, as he lifts his soul to his Creator.
When Jesus lived on the earth, a rich young ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Before instructing him, Jesus asks him a thought-provoking question. “Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God” (Matthew 19:16-22). We are given insight into God by this brief explanation. Only God is good. Jesus doesn’t deny that He is good to the ruler. He uses this simple address to highlight the truth: that He is Jehovah God. God is the source of all goodness. When He created the world, He called it “good,” and humans He called “very good.” The whole creation of the earth and the scheme of redemption were planned in immaculate detail from the very beginning by the author of real and lasting goodness. God in His goodness had His plan for the Lamb to redeem us before the world was ever made (1 Peter 1:19-20). God’s works are all derived from God’s perfect goodness, and all His creation is meant to be used for good. It is because of His goodness that our souls can come into His presence.
We don’t always do things for the right reasons. Sometimes our intentions are “good,” but not the very best. There are times when people can think they are serving God, but at heart they are concerned with themselves. It’s true that when we are faced with the need to help ourselves, we can hurt others without thinking about it or meaning to. God doesn’t have bad intentions or do something for selfish purposes. His goodness comes from pure intentions. While things can be tough at times in our service to God’s purposes (for example, the hardship of Paul’s imprisonment in Rome), we can trust that God will not direct us in a way that will drive us out of His presence. He knows what we can handle, and He knows how we can serve Him to bring about the very best outcome. David shows us that God’s reason for coming to our aid is reliable, even if we aren’t reliable.
As Christian sisters, we may view our service to God as deliberate actions. “How have I served God today? Did I read my Bible? Did I take a meal to someone? Did I watch my attitude in the shopping line?” Aren’t we also serving Him when we don’t know it or think about it? When we feel compassion for loved ones, we serve Him—even before we’ve done anything. We serve Him in a simple godly statement that pops out or a loving thought that flits through our minds. When circumstances arise in which we have to wait, suffer, and/or go without something for a reason we can’t see, we are serving God.
Good sister, you were created in the image of God. You were made very good. You were given the gift of life again through His perfect Son. You are bathed and covered in His perfect goodness. As a citizen of His kingdom, you get to work toward the best good, the purest good. You are on Team God, and you can look beyond the hard things in your life, the pain and suffering of the present, and see you are on the very best path. God is leading you to victory because you are on the Good Side. When Satan begins to make you believe that you are wrong, bad, impure, tainted, or unlovable, remember the Source of pure goodness is holding you close. Lift up your pure soul unhindered by doubts because you know His goodness will never leave you!
Some passages that reflect God’s goodness toward us:
Oh how great is thy goodness, Which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, Which thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in thee, Before the sons of men! Psalm 31:19
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Matthew 7:11
To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and every work of faith, with power; 2 Thessalonians 1:11
This is the fifteenth post in the Lifting Up the Soul study from Psalm 25. Subscribe to WomEnCourage to be notified as this study continues.