For This

"For this I will praise you, O LORD,

among the nations,

and sing praises to your name.

Great salvation he brings to his king,

and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

to David and his offspring forever."

2 Samuel 22:50-51 ESV

"God is good!"

I mostly hear this when something goes well for another.  I, too, often feel ready to praise God when things go my way, or when I am comfortable with the turn my life has made, or when everything falls into place the way I envisioned it.  "God is good!"  rolls easily off my lips.

What about when the test results are positive?  Or when I'm forced to wait in the unknown?  Or when my beloved's heart seems stuck in concrete?  Is God still good, or am I only willing to make such a profession when things are well for me?

There is a better reason to praise God for His goodness, and it is completely independent of my circumstances.  Not matter what I'm going through, I can still brag of His goodness because of these two gifts.

Salvation.  I deserve eternal death. (Romans 6:23) My sin has earned for me permanent condemnation, resulting in separation from God and all that is good.  Due to my transgressions, I have no hope of a future or anything good of which to look forward. (James 1:15)

In the same way a drowning man needs a lifeguard to save him from certain death, so I am completely incapable of rescuing myself from the inevitable.  My sin comes quite naturally, making it impossible for me to ever measure up to God's perfect standard.  Therefore, I can never hope to enter into God's kingdom based on my own merit.  If it were up to my goodness, I would be doomed to hell. (Romans 3:23)

Thankfully, God sent a Savior to rescue me from the path of death my feet so easily tread.  He offers a way for me to travel instead on the road that leads to life, even though I am completely incapable of walking such a way.  It is only through the blood of Jesus that I am made righteous and able to enter into the family of God, having a hope and a future of a place that is prepared specifically for me.  I am saved from the doom my sin secured for me. (John 14:2-3, Jeremiah 29:11-13)

With such a treasure held firmly in my grasp, my life takes on new purpose.  Instead of living for myself and my own selfish desires, I now live for God and His eternally good purposes.  Everything takes on significance.  Even the most mundane of chores can be done with the intent of bringing attention to the One who saved me. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Life now is rich with meaning. (John 10:10)

The salvation from death and an empty life God freely gives me through Jesus Christ is a reason to always give Him praise.

Steadfast Love.  The kind of love I'm used to seeing comes and goes, dependent upon my performance or as a reward for good behavior.  Human love is conditional, incapable of reaching the depth of God's unwavering love.  

This unconditional love is shown perfectly through the sacrifice made by His Son on the cross.  While I was still completely unaware of my need for help, while I was ignorant of the way my selfishness offended God and His holy nature, His loved compelled Him to make a way to repair the relationship my sin destroyed.  His love is so deep, so wide, so unfathomable that He took me as His child while I was still His enemy!  (Romans 5:10)

Such love cannot be lost.  There is nowhere I can go, nothing I can do, and no depth to which I can sink which will cause me to lose such love.  (Romans 8:35-39)  No matter how I feel, or how much I suffer, or how often I fail, His love for me is secure.  

This is a love that can take a bunch of wayward criminals and form them into a family.  (1 John 3:1)  This is the kind of love that sets the captive free.  (Luke 4:18)  This love melts even the hardest of hearts, turning it from stone into flesh.  (Ezekiel 36:26)

This steadfast love secured through faith in Jesus Christ is a reason to always give praise to God.

It is easy to base my praise of God on my circumstances, honoring Him and exalting His name when things go well but remaining silent when times are hard.  God, however, has given me so much of which to praise Him no matter my situation.  I have been granted salvation and a never-ending supply of His steadfast love through faith in Jesus Christ.  Completely apart from my own effort or merit, I have been given such precious gifts.  Of these alone I can always give praise to such a generous God!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can always remember the love and salvation that are mine through faith in Jesus.

When do I base my praise on my circumstances?

How am I quick to sink into despair when things go differently than I expected, forgetting that God has a great plan for me?