What does "He is good; His loving devotion" teach about God's character? The Verse in Focus “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1) Two Attributes, One God The inspired words highlight two inseparable truths about the Lord: • He is good. • His loving devotion (ḥesed) endures forever. Together they form a single testimony about His character that runs through all of Scripture. He Is Good • Absolute moral perfection: “You are good, and You do what is good” (Psalm 119:68). • Unchanging nature: “I the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6). His goodness is constant, never fluctuating with moods or circumstances. • Overflowing generosity: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). • Protective refuge: “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress” (Nahum 1:7). His Loving Devotion • Covenant loyalty: ḥesed describes steadfast, committed love that God pledges to His people (Exodus 34:6). • Unending duration: “For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever” (Psalm 100:5). Time cannot exhaust it. • Active compassion: “Because of the great love with which He loved us…God made us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5). • Merciful forgiveness: “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in loving devotion to all who call on You” (Psalm 86:5). The Harmony of Goodness and Loving Devotion • Goodness defines the quality of God’s nature; loving devotion defines the constancy of His relationship with us. • His goodness means He always acts rightly; His loving devotion means He always acts lovingly toward His covenant people. • The cross of Christ is the ultimate display: God’s good justice met God’s loving devotion when Jesus bore our sin (Romans 3:25-26). Living in the Light of This Truth • Gratitude: Repeated calls to “Give thanks” (Psalm 136:1-26) invite continual praise. • Confidence: An unchangingly good God with unending loving devotion secures our faith, even in hardship (Romans 8:38-39). • Obedience: His goodness motivates trustful submission; His loving devotion invites wholehearted love in return (Deuteronomy 6:5). • Hope: Because His loving devotion endures forever, His goodness will not fail us in eternity (Revelation 21:3-4). Summary “He is good; His loving devotion endures forever” declares that God’s moral perfection and steadfast covenant love are eternally intertwined. We can rest, rejoice, and obey, assured that the God who is perfectly good will never withdraw His faithful, covenant-keeping love. |
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