Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever. (Psalm 106:1)

This refrain, which opens the psalm in today’s Daily Office, is among the most frequently repeated lines in the psalter. (Look at Psalm 136, where it’s repeated so often that it becomes almost monotonous!) And yet, as familiar as these words are—and as true as many of us will acknowledge them to be—are we able to rest in them? Have they become the reality that permeates our consciousness and that shapes our response to whatever the day brings?

When the political establishment in turmoil,
is He good, and does His love endure forever?

When our budget doesn’t fill our desires and sometimes can’t meet our needs,
is He good, and does His love endure forever?

When we’re tired of being tired,
and people we love (or even we ourselves) are battling illness,
is He good, and does His love endure forever?

When we fail Him,
and we know that we have no legitimate claim on His mercy
(just read the rest of Psalm 106 as a primer)
is He good, and does His love endure forever?

Life changes, I think, when we allow God’s goodness and love to become the air we breathe. This is not to say that we no longer face stresses and pains. But we do come to trust that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. We start to discover that there is a peace from God, which passes all understanding. We become more able to face even difficulty with the underlying assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In my sermon writing this week, I was reminded of a line from A. W. Tozer: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

May we rest in the Goodness and Love of God today. And on this Friday, may we “Thank God It’s God!”