Nehemiah 9:1

"God Is Good - All The Time!"

Dear Friends,

In the last few months I've learned a song that I've grown to love. Its title is "God Is Good - All TheTime". It is a wonderful song to open a service or a worship segment. It points people to God and turns one's mind to the truth: God Is Good - He is ALWAYS good!

It is interesting that, in the Nehemiah passage, the Levites first of all point the people to God and give Him praise. There follows, in Nehemiah 9 and 10, a recitation of the history of rebellion by the people and God's great goodness toward them in spite of their sin.

Notice the command to praise: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting." What then follows is genuine praise, declaring the truth about who He is and recounting His wondrous deeds.

This heart attitude must precede us in every decision, every action and, certainly, in each time of public worship. To worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth means to acknowledge Him for who He is. That puts both Him and us in our proper place and will cause us to humble ourselves before Him. This may include - standing to honor him, lifting hands to surrender to him, prostrate to acknowledge his sovreignty over our lives, bowing or kneeling to declare Him as our Lord and sovreign.

Just as the Israelites made terrible, rebellious and arrogant decisions (Neh. 9:16-18), so we will also do if we do not begin with God's great goodness, with praise to Him.

Isn't it a wonderful thing that God is good? Notice in Nehemiah 9:19-ff the Levites declare:

"Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them [their rebellious ancestors] in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. …"

It is because of the Lord's great compassion and goodness that we are able to turn to him and experience love and forgiveness and recieve from His hand blessing instead of cursing. God is good - All The Time!!

"Lord, we are so thankful that you do not reward us according to our deeds but according to your great compassion and mercy. I'm so grateful that you are not only THE Redeemer, but that by your nature You are A Redeemer! Strengthen and empower me Lord that I might not sin against you but experience your great love. You are good - All the time!"

Amen - let it be so.
Shalom

Bob Goldsby