No Good Thing

No Good Thing

The LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:11

IT’S A WONDERFULLY ENCOURAGING PROMISE—God as our light and warmth, our protection and shelter, the giver of grace and glory. He withholds nothing good from us, lavishing on us the beauties and joys of creation. Still, our hearts fall when we read “those who do what is right,” or, in other translations, “those who walk uprightly” or “those whose walk is blameless.” These are hard words. We try to do what is right, but we aren’t perfect. We aren’t blameless on all counts. And we begin to wonder if this promise applies to us.

It does, and we can believe it enthusiastically. For one thing, the Bible’s words are never directed to those who are completely blameless because it is emphatic that no one except Jesus is. It addresses the general tenor of our hearts—whether we are growing in maturity and committed to following God’s ways. If we’re running toward him, his promises for the righteous apply.

Even more important, though, is the opportunity in promises like these to base our prayers not on what we’ve done but on what Jesus has accomplished for us. Remember, we don’t pray in our own name. We pray in his. Our petitions are backed by his righteousness, worthiness, and standing with the Father. It’s still important to align our hearts with him in every way, but the basis of our prayers isn’t our own perfection. It’s his. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who find their identity in the worthy, perfect Son.

That’s worth pursuing in passionate faith and embracing without reservation. We can think of a lot of “good things” we want to receive from God, most of which we can be confident are good in his eyes too. He is rich in mercy, creative in his works, generous with his blessings, and always willing to lead us into the best he has for us. That may not be a smooth journey, but it’s always good. And we can take him at his word and pray emphatically in his name.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.