By Tim Rowe

Now let’s look at an amazing section of Scripture about God’s goodness.

Psalm 34:8 (New American Standard):

O taste and see that the Lord is good; how
blessed is the man that takes refuge in Him!

New American Bible:

Learn to savor how good the Lord is; happy
are those who take refuge in him.

Message Bible:

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and
see-how good God is. Blessed are those who run
to him.

It is God’s absolute will and desire that you taste and see just how good the Lord is. The word “taste” in the Hebrew means: to perceive the flavor, to savor, to partake and experience, to examine by tasting, to come to know and enjoy by tasting. To taste something means that you have had a living experience with it manifested in your daily life. It is an invitation to have an intimate relationship with God and test Him to see if He is really as good as He claims to be. God wants us to experience, taste, savor, and enjoy His goodness. God doesn’t want us to just read about His goodness or just hear about His goodness but the Lord wants us to fully experience His overflowing goodness in all things. We never know the flavor of something until we taste it. Don’t you want to experience the flavor of God’s goodness all the days of your life? Don’t you want to have the excitement each day of discovering new heights of God’s goodness? When you taste and experience God, you will see that there is no bitterness, hard-heartedness, evil, and hatred in God. When you taste and experience God, you will see there is no indifference, callousness, resentment, and seclusion in God. In God, you will taste love, peace, joy, gentleness, strength, caring, healing, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. God does not want you to wait to taste His goodness until you get to heaven, or until you have been a Christian for ten years. God wants you to taste His goodness now. He has laid before you a magnificent banquet of His blessings and says come, eat and enjoy all that I have prepared for you.

It is interesting that the first usage of the Hebrew word for “taste” (taam) is in Exodus 16:31 and concerns manna, the food from heaven, that God rained down upon the
Israelites to show them that He alone was the Lord their God, their Provider, their sufficiency, and their goodness. Every single day for forty years in the wilderness, in the midst of Israel’s murmuring and complaining, God Almighty gave them this bread from heaven to sustain and nourish them. God never missed a day even under the most adverse conditions in the barren wilderness. Israel tasted the goodness of their covenant God daily.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (Amplified):

And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger
and fed you with manna, which you did not know
nor did your fathers know, that He might make
you recognize and personally know that man does
not live by bread only, but man lives by every word
that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

There is nothing so wonderful as to taste, experience, and partake of the Word of God. The words of the Lord satisfy, nourish, and transform the heart of a person. You taste the goodness of God by first tasting the goodness of His words.

Psalm 119:103 (NIV):

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter
than honey to my mouth!

Message Bible:

Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them
to the best home cooking.

A person must savor, assimilate and digest the words of God in order to fully taste and enjoy the goodness of God.

Deuteronomy 8:15,16 (KJV):

Who led thee through that great and terrible
wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and
scorpions, and drought, where there was no
water; who brought thee forth water out of the
rock of flint.

Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna,
which they fathers knew not, that he might
humble thee and prove thee, to do thee good
at thy latter end.

Even in the midst of the terrible and desolate wilderness, God took care of His people, performing wonderful miracles in giving them manna and water. Even the wilderness could not suppress or restrain the goodness of God. God had a good and breathtaking destination to which He was trying to lead the Israelites to if they would only love and serve Him.

Deuteronomy 8:7-10 (Amplified):

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a
good land, a land of brooks and water, of
fountains and springs; flowing forth in valleys
and hills;

A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig
trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees
and honey.

A land in which you will eat food without shortage
and lack nothing in it; a land whose stones are
iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

When you have eaten and are full, then you shall
bless the Lord your God for all the good land
which He has given you.

God has a good land, a good life, and a good purpose that He wants to lead you to where His goodness will permeate every single facet of your life. God has a wonderful design and plan for you, where you can taste and experience His goodness daily. Cleave to Him, love Him, worship Him, and praise Him-enjoy all the blessings that he daily showers upon us.

God has provided an even greater manna for all those who truly want to taste His goodness: the Bread from Heaven, Jesus, who brings complete salvation and everlasting life for all those who believe.

John 6:35 (Amplified):

Jesus replied, “I am the Bread of Life. He who
comes to me will never be hungry, and he, who
believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies
on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).”

Do you hunger to taste and be fully satisfied with the goodness of God? Do you thirst for the refreshing waters of His goodness to forever quench your weary soul?
Believe in Jesus Christ, confess Him as your Lord and Savior, cleave to Him, give Him a
home in your heart, and you will never hunger or thirst for His goodness again. He is our Bread that sustains us and gives us life. He is our living water that revitalizes, restores, and invigorates us with spiritual power and life. God is so good to give us His Son for our complete redemption, justification, and righteousness. Pause for a minute, close your eyes, and take a few minutes to savor just how good the Lord is. Be still and quiet your soul and thank God for His kindness and salvation. Calm your mind and thank him for the wonderful privilege He bestowed in grace upon you to be called His most beloved child with full heavenly sonship rights and a glorious inheritance in His family. Nothing tastes better than the goodness of the Lord.

According to Psalm 34:8, God does not only want us to taste and savor how good the Lord is, but He wants us to see how good the Lord is. The word “see” in the Hebrew means: to observe, to watch, to have vision, to look upon, to inspect, to behold with intention and purpose, to see with delight, to look upon with pleasure, to perceive, experience and enjoy, and to understand, learn and know.” God wants us to have painted and etched in the depths of our soul a vibrant picture of His goodness. He wants us to behold with intense delight the manifestation of His goodness in everything from His awesome creation to His mastery of the intimate details of our life. We need to take time to think and reflect upon His goodness, as it overflows from the heart of God. We see a lot of things in life as we control the focus of our thoughts and mind. We determine by our free will the mental picture we carry in our mind. What are we focusing our thoughts on? We can intently watch the chaos of the world, or attentively look at the frailties and shortcomings of human nature, or behold our own weaknesses and inadequacies. But this will only make us miserable, distracted, and depressed.

Wouldn’t you rather behold with awe and thankfulness just how good the Lord is? Shouldn’t the goodness of God be our focus? How our lives would be transformed if we took time each day to develop our thought life by painting a picture in our minds and hearts of all the wonderful aspects of the goodness of God. God does not want His goodness to be hid under a bush or to be cast into a closet. God wants us to see His goodness and how it surrounds, blesses, and permeates everything about us. He wants us to respond with a heart of thankfulness and a passion to serve Him. God never wants a day to pass or a night to fade without you experiencing and realizing that He is forever good by nature and will continue to give you great good out of a heart of love. God put a strong desire on my heart to write this book about His goodness because it breaks His heart that so many people do not think that He is good always. They do not believe the scripture that the Lord “is good and does good” (Psalm 119:68). They blame God for every evil, for every catastrophe, and for every problem when all the time He is crying out to mankind to come and see His true nature and the magnificence of his eternal goodness and love. Behold all the earth, open your eyes wide and see how good the Lord is!

Psalm 66:5 (NIV):

Come and see what God has done, how awesome
His works are in man’s behalf.

New Living Translation:

Come and see what our God has done, what
awesome miracles He performs for people!

Psalms 27:13 (Revised Standard Version):

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the
Lord in the land of the living.

Isaiah 52:10 (New Living Translation):

The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
before the eyes of all nations. All the ends
of the earth shall see the victory of our God.

Jeremiah 6:16 (KJV):

Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see,
and ask for the old paths, where is the good way,
and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your
souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.

God wants us to stand and see His good way wherein lies victory over every foe. He wants us to believe and walk in His goodness wherein lies rest for our soul. God wants us to see daily awesome miracles of His goodness that He is so willing to perform for His people. Our testimony of the greatness, the splendor, the magnificence, the brilliance, and the majesty of His goodness should sound out in the factories, in the hospitals, in the farms, in the homes, in the workplace, in the schools, and every place the soles of our feet take us. We should say the gracious and uplifting inspired words in Psalm 145 of David, a man after God’s own heart, who grasped the truth of the goodness of God. Everyday these words should be our vision and our picture that we hold in our minds of our loving Heavenly Father.

Psalm 145:2-18 (Message Bible):

I’ll bless you every day, and keep it up from
now until eternity.

God is magnificent; he can never be praised
enough. There are no boundaries to His greatness.

Generation after generation stands in awe of your

work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts.

Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
I compose songs on your wonders.

Your marvelous doings are headline news; I could
write a book full of the details of your greatness.

The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;
your righteousness is on everyone’s lips.

God is all mercy and grace-not quick to anger, is rich
in love.

God is good to one and all; everything he does is
suffused with grace.

Creation and creatures applaud you, God; your holy
people bless you.

They talk about the glories of your rule, they exclaim
over your splendor,

Letting the world know of your power for good, the
lavish splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal, you never get
voted out of office.

God always does what he says, and is gracious in
everything he does.

God gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives
a fresh start to those ready to quit.

All eyes are on you, expectant; you give them meals
on time.

Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures.

Everything God does is right-the trademark on all His
works is love.

Set your vision high on the greatness and goodness of God, and focus on all the
good with which He has blessed you. Simply believe this truth that the Lord is good and
will always do good in your life, and watch God act and move to transform and mold you into a shining example of His goodness. Then reach out and proclaim the message of His goodness to the world and help others with all your heart and soul, so they too can believe in the magnificent goodness of our God.

Let’s return to Psalm 34:8 and study some additional gems of truth about the goodness of God.

Psalm 34:8 (KJV):

O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the
man that trusteth in him

New American Standard:

O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed
is the man that takes refuge in Him!

The word “blessed” in the Hebrew conveys the idea of happiness that flows from a sense of well-being and rightness. It also means to walk straight on, to go on a path, way or motion toward an end or purpose. It has the idea of movement where one is not standing still but moving forward. It is a complete happiness as you move forward on the path God has chosen for you. The Greek equivalent to this word was used repeatedly in the Sermon on the Mount and translated “blessed.” It is a blessed happiness that only comes from walking with your loving Heavenly Father.

There are four principal Hebrew words for “man” in the Old Testament, and in this verse the word “man” means: a strong man, a valiant man and denotes man in respect of his physical strength.” The verb root was commonly associated with warfare and had to do with the strength and vitality of the successful warrior. It was a male at the very peak of his natural strength.

There are seven Hebrew words translated “trust” in the Old Testament, and in Psalm 34:8, the word “trust” means :to flee for refuge to, to take shelter in, to flee for protection in, and to confide in. It is to place oneself in the protective care of the Lord, knowing that He will shelter you from all attacks of the enemy and deliver you from the pursuit and tactics of the evil one.

Putting this all together, a wonderful happiness and sense of well-being is the foundation of the strong man who, instead of relying on his own physical prowess, takes refuge and shelter under the mighty protective care of the Lord. This successful warrior could claim that his physical strength is great enough to face his enemy without the help of God. He could boast that he is at the peak of his physical abilities and does not need any assistance in the battle before him. But this strong man wisely sought the divine protection of God, whose strength is limitless, whose power is immeasurable, and who never grows weary. God used the Hebrew word geber for “man” in this verse to vividly illustrate that no matter how strong the man maybe, no matter how great a warrior he is on the battlefield, and no matter how wonderful his physical abilities are, that even this man needs to take shelter under the protection of God Almighty’s wing. Every person, regardless of natural abilities, needs to seek refuge in the Lord daily. It is the only place of true happiness, as only in the loving embrace of God is there complete rest and security.

People seek refuge in many things in the world that only leaves them feeling empty and hopeless inside. Many have sought refuge in drugs, in food, in alcohol, in material possessions, in ambition, in fame, and in people and have ultimately been bitterly disappointed with the outcome. Read the book of Ecclesiastes and hear Solomon declare the utter futility of seeking refuge in anything but God.

Ecclesiastes 1:14 (KJV):

I have seen all the works that are done under the
sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

The phrase “under the sun” is only used in Ecclesiastes and occurs 29 times. It refers to all that is connected with earthly things of man apart from God. It is a life without God with the sole emphasis on the works of man. The word “vanity” means: that which soon vanishes, that which is empty and passing, a breath or vapor which soon vanishes forever, a complete nothingness, and an utter meaninglessness. Vexation means: a feeding on the wind and a chasing after the wind. Every work and every refuge outside of the one true God is completely empty and meaningless, like a vapor that appears for a fleeting second and then vanishes. All works that simply glorify human nature and leave the Lord out of the picture are as futile as chasing the wind. A person will be wandering aimlessly in a vast wilderness of emptiness without first seeking God as the refuge and purpose of their life. No matter how smart, rich, or beautiful you are, you need the Lord Jesus Christ in your life, as without him you will never escape the futility and fleeting emptiness of the works of man. Psalm 39:5 boldly states, “Every man in His best state is altogether vanity.” Without God, your life is a complete waste! You will never reach your full potential and destiny without God as a living, vital, reality in your heart and soul.

A wonderful benefit of the goodness of God is the complete happiness and satisfaction that comes from seeking refuge, shelter and protection in the Lord.

Nahum 1:7 (NIV):

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in Him.

New English Translation:

The Lord is good-indeed, he is a fortress in times
of distress, and he protects those who seek refuge
in Him.

Psalm 62:8 (Amplified):

Trust in, lean on, rely on and have confidence in
Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts
before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and
a high tower). Selah (pause and calmly think of that).

We seek refuge in the Lord for He is good and He cares deeply for us. God is a fortress of protection in times of trouble and distress where we can find complete rest and renewal. To say that the Lord is our refuge not only includes the truth that He is our shield, but also that we can come to Him, rest in His bosom and pour out our hearts before Him. We can have an intimate relationship with Him where we share all the details, problems and burdens in our lives knowing His grace and power are sufficient to bring us deliverance in any situation. Seeking refuge in God gives life meaning and purpose, for we know God is our helper, our fellow laborer, and our comforter in all the things of this life. God’s high tower and fortress of refuge is never closed, it is never too crowded, and it is never inaccessible-the welcome mat is always out. God loves and desires our companionship, our love, our praise, and our devotion. He wants to spend time fellowshipping with us, loving us, caring for us, and helping us grow and mature in Him.

Do you ever remember as a child running into your parents’ room during a thunderstorm and seeking refuge under the warm covers on their bed, nestled between your mother and father? Do you remember what peace, warmth and security it brought to all your fears? This is a great mind picture of what it means to have the Lord as our refuge. God is our constant companion, our loving heavenly parent that you can always run to and get under the covers of His love. You can nestle close to your faithful Lord sharing with Him everything on your heart knowing that He is intently listening and ready to move into action on your behalf.

Matthew 11:28 (Amplified):

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden
and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will
ease and relieve and refresh your souls].

New Message Bible:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover
your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do
it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t
lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep
company with me and you will learn to live freely
and lightly.

When you take refuge in the Lord you recover your life. No matter how overburdened or burned out you feel, come and get away in a quiet place with your Lord and He will ease, relieve and refresh your soul. God wants to wrap us in His goodness and teach us how to live freely, lightly, and joyfully.

Psalm 62:1,2 (NIV):

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation
comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is
my fortress, I will never be shaken.

When you seek refuge and shelter in the Lord you will never be shaken or overthrown. The word “shaken” in the Hebrew means: a motion which causes injury or ruin; a great agitation; a great movement that throws one off course, and it is to dislodge and let fall and drop. God is our rock and haven of rest, and when we trust in him and abide in the fortress of His presence, absolutely nothing can cause us injury or ruin; nothing can greatly agitate us; nothing can greatly move us and throw us off course, and nothing can dislodge us from His loving protection. What a wonderful promise of goodness!

One great aspect in understanding the refuge and rest that abounds in the Lord is knowing the truth that Jesus Christ defeated the power of Satan by His death and resurrection. According to Ephesians 4:8, Jesus led captive, defeated, and vanquished everything that could ever captivate us and bring us into bondage. You are now a citizen of God’s heavenly kingdom by the finished work of Jesus Christ, and God has delivered you from the exercised power of darkness that reigns in the systems of the world. You can boldly enter God’s refuge as His son or daughter at any time and claim your heavenly protection, comfort, and rest, according to your rights of citizenship in His kingdom. No satanic power can hinder your right to seek God as your refuge.

Colossians 1:13: (Amplified):

[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself
out of the control and dominion of darkness and has
transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

Ephesians 2:19 (Amplified):

Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants
and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but
you now share citizenship with the saints (God’s own
people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and
you belong to God’s own household.

I Timothy 4:18 (Amplified):

[And indeed] the Lord will certainly deliver and draw
me to Himself from every assault of evil. He will pre-
serve and bring me safe unto His heavenly kingdom.
To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

Our wonderful Father has delivered and drawn us to Himself, and in His refuge no darkness can have control or dominion over our lives. God has promised that He will deliver you from every assault of evil and preserve you in safety in His loving arms. God will bring you safely through every battle in life until you enter His heavenly kingdom as a glorified child of God. You are no longer an outsider, but God has set you apart for Himself and you have full rights of citizenship in His household. You have the awesome refuge of God, with His continuous protection. We can pour out our hearts before Him, knowing nothing can shake, agitate, and cause us injury or ruin: a benefit of the goodness of God that we must never forget. The refuge that God provides will allow us to walk in pure happiness and joy as we praise Him for his loving care over us every second that we draw breath upon this earth.

Psalm 34 continues building the truth that nothing compares to the manifestation of God’s goodness in our lives:

Psalm 34:9,10 (New Revised Standard Version):

O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who
fear him have no want.

The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those
who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

The word “fear” means: to honor, to have reverence for, to stand in awe of and to respect. It is to love, worship and reverence the Lord as you stand in great awe of His majesty and goodness. The word “want” means: to have lack, to diminish, to cut short, to be in poverty, to be destitute and to be deficient. Love the Lord and reverence Him with all your heart, and you will never have lack, you will never be deficient, and you will never be destitute in any area of your life. God does not want us impoverished or downtrodden. He wants us to be blessed, joyful, and at peace. God is not a God of poverty. He is not a God of lack. When we seek God, when we love Him and when we stand in great awe of His majesty, He will make sure we have no lack, no want, or no need that is unfulfilled. We will be never be diminished or cut short from all the wonderful things God has planned for us. In Christ He has given us everything we will ever need in life to serve Him, to love Him, and to walk with Him and overcome any obstacle we may face. It is an amazing truth that there is not one ounce of lack or deficiency in the goodness of God. There is no want in God’s goodness because it completely satisfies. The goodness of God is more than enough of everything we will ever need in life to prosper, to be successful, and to live life to its fullest as a child of God.

The key to activating God’s goodness in your life and opening up the floodgates to pour His good into everything your hand touches and everywhere your foot treads is to seek, love and reverence God first above all else. What is your passion in life? What is your driving force that motivates you throughout the day? Who do you live for? Who or what do you give your heart and soul to above anything else? It is the most important life decision you will ever make. God is not someone you simply wind up or think about on Sunday for an hour (two hours if you go to evening service) and get your dust covered Bible off the shelf for the reading of a few verses and then put Him away for the rest of the week. That is not seeking God. That is not fearing the Lord. That is not loving Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. How much time do you spend with your good and loving Heavenly Father daily? How much time do you think about His Word and His precious promises daily? How much time do you spend getting quiet with the Lord and pouring your heart out before Him? How much time do you spend reading and studying His words of life revealed in the Bible and hiding his matchless Word in the depths of your heart? How balanced is your spiritual diet when it comes to God and His Word?

God aches to spend time with His children and to show them all the good things He has prepared for them, if they will only come to Him and love Him. Do you think your child could flourish and grow by only spending one hour a week with his or her parent(s)? All spiritual anemia, all major failure, all lack, destitution and deficiency that grows and abounds in one’s life is always caused by neglect of developing a relationship and friendship with God and seeking Him first. Another cause is neglect of studying, meditating, and renewing our mind to His Word until it richly grows in our heart. Our strength, our power, and our ability to overcome is so limited and inadequate without Him. Who or what do we choose to seek, trust and rely on? Do we seek God as the fountain of living waters with an unlimited supply in the time of need? Or do we seek and rely on ourselves, other people, or something else which is nothing more than a broken cistern that can hold no water, lets us down, and comes up empty just when we need it (See Jeremiah 2:13).

Jeremiah 2:29,32 (NIV):

Where then are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them come and save you when you are in
trouble! For you have as many gods as you have
towns, O Judah.

Does a maid forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding
ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me days
without number.

Deuteronomy 32:8 (New English Translation):

You have forgotten the Rock who fathered you,
and put out of mind the God who gave you birth.

What a sad commentary that God’s people had forgotten Him and put Him out of mind and memory. The Hebrew word for “forget” means: to ignore, to allow to wither, to cease to care for, to be forgotten, and to be lost to memory.” We can never allow our relationship with God to wither. We can never ignore and cease to care for our loving Lord. God spent the ages preparing to bring you into His kingdom as His treasured child and has chartered a course and a purpose for you that is awesome in its goodness and magnificence. Do we now turn away from Him, give Him a low priority, and selfishly focus on something or someone else? Are we going to allow our intimacy with Him to wilt and fade in the hustle and bustle of everyday living? Do you think God might be busy? But He is never too busy for you. He thinks wonderful thoughts of love about you and strongly desires to be a loving Heavenly Father in your life. His good awaits you if you will only embrace and love Him fervently. There is never a second that goes by where you are forgotten before the throne of God. He thinks about you constantly, and His invitation is to always come, draw nigh and fellowship with Him. You absolutely thrill the heart of God, and He has wonderful designs and plans for you from this moment throughout all eternity. How can we ever let God wither in our lives? We must never put him out of mind or forget His faithfulness, grace, and mighty works. We must seek Him as the most vital necessity in our lives and love Him fervently with everything we have and ever hope to be. We must have a reverent respect and awe of His magnificent goodness and all the works of His hands. Then His goodness will never fail to touch and permeate our lives in complete fullness.

Job 22:21 (Amplified):

Acquaint now yourself with Him [agree with God
and show yourself to be conformed to His will],
and be at peace; by that you shall prosper and
great good shall come to you.

Are you acquainted with your Heavenly Father, or is He just a distant relative? Are you at peace with your relationship with Him? What position does He occupy in your heart? The word “acquaint” in Hebrew means: to know intimately, to be in harmony with, to be of service or benefit, to become familiar with and to reconcile.” When we seek to know God intimately and live in agreement and harmony with His will, we will absolutely prosper, and great good will come to us. Great good in our health, great good in our finances, great good in our family, great good in our jobs, great good in our service to others, and great good in our walk with God. When we reverence, love and seek the Lord then we can be of great good to our Father as we are beneficial and useful to accomplish His will upon the earth. We have been reconciled and brought back to God through the accomplishments of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. It is now up to us to deepen, intensify, and grow in our relationship and love of our amazing and awesome God. We should have the closeness of the most trusted friend, the deep bond of the most beloved family member, and the most intimate union of a parent and child.

Romans 5:10,11 (Amplified):

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled
to God through the death of His Son, it is much
more certain, now that we are reconciled, that we
shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion)
through His [resurrection] life.

Not only so, but we also rejoice and exultantly glory
in God [in His love and perfection] through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received
and enjoy our reconciliation.

We should enjoy our reconciliation to God, as it opened the door for an intimate, personal and cherished relationship with Almighty God. We have His resurrection life flowing through our entire being-Christ is in us the hope of glory. We are new creations in Christ and now have the opportunity to walk in fellowship with God and build a vital union and relationship with Him. Fellowship with our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ is the distinguishing mark of a Christian; and it sets us apart from the unbeliever. What an incredible privilege to fellowship with the Creator of the heavens and earth on an intimate personal basis, where you can walk and talk with Him in great closeness as the most beloved friends.

I John 1:3 (Amplified):

What we have seen and ourselves heard, we are also
telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy
fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And
this fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing
mark of Christians] is with the Father and His Son
Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

The only way you will ever be content, ever be satisfied, and ever enjoy life is if you are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and daily seek, reverence, love, and fellowship with Him. You will have great contentment and peace knowing your rightful position and authority as a saved child of God.

Proverbs 19:23 (New English Translation):

Fearing the Lord leads to life, and one who
does so will live satisfied; he will not be
afflicted by calamity.

The fear of the Lord leads to life: then one rests
content, untouched by evil.

Do you want life? Do you want contentment? Do you want to be at rest in the depths of your soul? Do you want satisfaction? Do you want to be untouched by evil or calamity? Then love and reverence the Lord. How exciting life becomes! Every morning will be new with freshness and warmth of resting in your Father’s bosom, knowing confidently that His faithfulness and His compassion are great. His love will never run dry, fade, or disappear. Every day we should have great expectation of what the Lord will do for us, and how His miraculous love will work in our life to spread the gospel and help others.

Lamentations 3:21-26 (Amplified):

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and
expectation.

It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness
that we are not consumed, because His tender
compassions fail not.

They are new every morning; great and abundant
is Your stability and faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion or share; says my living
being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him
and wait expectantly for Him.

The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and
expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire
of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity
and on the authority of God’s Word].

It is good that one should hope in and wait quietly
for the salvation (the safety and ease) of the Lord.

Trust in Him, wait for Him, and expect Him to do mighty things in your life. You
have the right to His goodness by the authority of His Word. God is absolutely faithful to bring His awesome, life-changing goodness to all those who seek and love Him and rest with quiet confidence in His loving arms. If we seek first anything other than God, we will be disappointed. If we love anyone else more than God, we will be let down. If we trust anything above God, we will be disheartened. There is no stability if we build our life on the sands of our own ego. There is no hope and salvation in pursuing selfish interests and ambition above all else. There is no satisfaction in the philosophies and religions of man that leave the true God out of the picture. Do you want God’s abundant goodness and blessings to overflow in your life like a mighty river, as you touch people with the heart of God’s compassion and love everywhere you go? Then love the Lord and exalt Him to the throne of your life like David did in Psalm 34. Look at the context of Psalm 34 that precedes verses 8 and 9. David blessed the Lord at all times, praised Him continually, magnified the Lord and exalted His name, sought him for deliverance, looked unto Him, cried unto Him, and humbled himself before Him. This is what it means to reverence the Lord and love Him with all our heart, and He promises that if you do this, you will have no lack and His goodness will encircle and permeate everything in your life. There is wholeness, deliverance, and goodness in none other than the Lord.

Romans 10:11,12 (Amplified):

The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him
(who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him) will
ever be put to shame or disappointed.

[No one] for there is no distinction between Jew
and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all (of us)
and He generously bestows His riches upon all who
call on Him.

Message Bible:

Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts in God
like this-heart and soul-will ever regret it.

The Greek word “shame” in Romans 10:11 means: to be disappointed in your expectations, to be disillusioned, to be embarrassed, to have an adverse influence, to be disgraced, dishonored or bring you to shame, to have a failure of your expectations, to have hope in something that has deceived you, and to be covered with dishonor. We cannot fail with God! We will never be disillusioned when we trust in our Heavenly Father! We will never be disappointed or deceived by relying on Him and believing His words. There is no earthly or satanic power that can ever disgrace you, dishonor you or bring you to shame in the eyes of God when you place your confidence in Him. There is no disappointment, no disillusionment, no shame, no dishonor, no disgrace, no embarrassment, and no deception in the goodness of God. Words cannot even begin to describe the depth, richness, greatness and magnificence of the goodness of God.

The goodness of God is so big that the heart stands in utter amazement and awe when we begin to see a glimpse of just how good our God is. Get a picture in your mind of the heart of God and His love, His mercy, His caring nature, His strength, His kindness, and His grace. Then multiply that picture by a billion times, and you may begin to see just how vast, immense, enormous, wonderful, and glorious is the goodness of God. Our gracious God will abundantly bestow this immeasurable goodness to all that call upon Him.