Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:8-9)

Through the centuries there have been those kings and potentates who bestowed favor upon their subjects, not out of genuine kindness, but as a means to ingratiate himself and inspire loyalty. The reality is that those kings and monarchs needed the people more than he led them to believe that they needed him. It is not so with our God; all the wonderful things He does on our behalf are because He is good and has our best interests in mind. In the words of the psalmist, He provides for our physical needs because He knows that, for us to live, certain things are required. Additionally, He satisfies the soul with those things that have eternal value, and nourishes the spirit of those who look to Him for their sustenance.

Unlike an earthly king, the Almighty doesn’t do these things to ingratiate Himself because He doesn’t need our assistance and loyalty — He is omnipotent. That said, because He is good and because He desires a meaningful relationship with us, He wants our loyalty when it is freely given from a heart that loves Him, Furthermore, He graciously invites us to assist Him in the advancement of His kingdom by calling us His sons and daughters. He does all of this because He loves us and desires that we would love Him in return. When you think about it, all of Scripture boils down to this: from the beginning, God has wanted to have a people who loved Him, not because of what they could do for Him or what He could do for them but simply because He is.

So as the psalmist said, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” He deserves our praise and thanksgiving, even if He never does another kind thing for us — He’s done so much already. But all of us know that, because He is eternally good, His acts of kindness will continue. So, be sure to thank Him today for satisfying your soul with His goodness.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill