GREAT GOODNESS
Psalms 31: 19-21 NKJ
19 Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
One of the keynote qualities of David is his faith in the goodness of God. In 2 Samuel 24, David had made a major mistake, and judgment was coming. God offered David a choice as to what would happen to him, and David's answer was very revealing. David said in verse 14, "...Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man." How many people do you suppose would make that same choice? How many people are much more afraid of God and believe that men would be better to them? But not David. David had an amazing trust in God's goodness. Our psalm for today is a great example of David's faith.
How great is God's goodness, which He has laid up or stored up for those who fear Him? God is not working up goodness; He has already stored it up. And God's goodness is not a trickle; it's a great amount. There is a difference between a creek and Niagara Falls. I believe God's goodness is Niagara level, not creek level. And this goodness is waiting for those of us who put our trust in God in the presence of other people. God is good to us, really good, and we are not ashamed to acknowledge our trust regardless of who is in front of us.
Part of God's goodness is His protection for us. He hides us from man's plots and keeps us from the strife of tongues. I like how the NLT version treats verses 19-20. "How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues." This version indicates that God blesses us in front of others and protects us from those who conspire against us and accuse us. That's some great goodness.
And David also praises God for His marvelous kindness. Another way of saying this is that God has shown His extraordinary, wonderful, and surpassing kindness. The word marvelous also implies that this is something difficult to do. But we know it's not difficult for God. It's so extraordinary that it boggles our brains. When was the last time we ever ascribed so much goodness to the Lord that it was mind-blowing? Mind-blowing kindness and a mighty abundant amount of goodness. This psalm should serve to help us get a bigger image of our God. And with a bigger image of God, it increases our expectation of seeing His goodness and kindness in our lives.
Many years ago, the phrase ‘how great is your goodness’ stood out to me in my devotional time and sparked a psalm of my own. It doesn't stack up to the psalms in the Bible, but the Holy Spirit can give us inspired poems or psalms that speak to where we are at any given time in our lives. (Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16)
Great is Your goodness laid up for me
For I put my trust in Thee
I trust Your Spirit and Your word
In my life, Your voice is heard
Grace and peace You've given me
Made me whole and set me free
If you will pursue and step out in this area, the Lord, by His Spirit, can inspire psalms, and poems, and songs. You may or may not share them with others, but they will certainly bless your life.
PRAYER
Thank You for Your great goodness and extraordinary kindness to me, Lord. I put my trust in You.