Scripture

Psalm 145:8-9 NRSV

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Consider

David composed this song to praise his Creator God. Elsewhere in the psalm he describes a sovereign God who inspires awe and obedience in his people. In the verses quoted above, David describes a personal God whose goodness draws us into loving and grateful relationship with him.

These same qualities of goodness that attract us into relationship with God also attract us into satisfying relationships with one another. God not only instructs us through the Law but models for us through his character how we should treat one another and grow as a family under his great Name.

In his psalm David names six qualities of God’s goodness that draw us into divine friendship with God. Below are descriptions of how these same qualities might look in our relationships with one another:

• “gracious” – Our natural response to others is kind and gentle, always seeking to heal rather than to hurt.
• “merciful” – When others may expect judgment and criticism, we offer acceptance, release from debt, and a chance for reconciliation.
• “slow to anger” – We respond to conflict with patience, a listening ear, and thoughtful evaluation rather than with quick anger that can lead us into false assumptions and deeper trouble.
• “steadfast love” – Our loving treatment of others does not depend on their behavior but rather on our steadfast commitment to loving them no matter what.
• “good to all” – We approach every situation with the intent to do good and not harm, no matter how we are provoked.
• “compassion over all that God has made” – Recognizing our share in the brokenness of our world moves us to compassion and a desire to serve God’s plans to redeem all his creation.

Just imagine a world where such qualities ruled every relationship! That is the world that God intended before the Fall. That is the inheritance that God promises to those who put their trust and hope in Jesus and seek after his goodness.

Pray

Gracious Lord, thank you for pursuing me with your goodness and steadfast mercy, drawing me into friendship with you and showing me how to live like you in this world you created. Plant in me the desire to do good to others in every circumstance, without exception and without conditions.

Reflect

Psalm 34:14; Luke 6:27-28

Ponder

What are some practical ways I can express goodness in my relationships today?