Promised Goodness

Promised Goodness

No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Psalm 84:11

IN WORD What a comforting promise! God longs to be good to us. Regardless of our impression that He is often waiting to discipline us for our mistakes and purposeful disobedience, the truth is that He is waiting on high to have compassion on us (Isaiah 30:18). Think of that! The God we rightly fear is the God who thoroughly enjoys every opportunity to give us something good.

But what a discouraging condition. The promise in Psalm 84:11 is for those whose walk is “blameless.” We may do our best, but we know we don’t qualify for “blameless.” If this promise is for those who never make mistakes, it’s a meaningless promise—a nice idea, but never to be applied.

But God doesn’t make meaningless promises. “Blameless” can’t mean “perfect.” Perhaps a better way to understand it would be “those whose walk is in God’s direction,” or “those whose walk is inspired by Him and inclined toward Him.” On our best days, we could qualify for that kind of condition. We could reap the benefits of this promise.

There’s still another way to look at it, though. Consider this: Jesus’ walk was, in fact, blameless. It was perfect, completely without sin and error. And here’s the clincher: Jesus lives in us! The One who is most qualified to receive this promise is the One who has become our life. If He dwells within, and if we are resting in Him by faith, by His righteousness we qualify to receive the promise of all good things. If we abide in Him, God delights in us.

IN DEED Do you see God as the cosmic school officer, meting out discipline at every opportunity? He does discipline us, of course, but His good hand is behind it. And His good hand has lots of other things in it—everything pertaining to life and godliness, every blessing His bounty has to offer, everything our heart truly desires. There is absolutely no good thing that He will withhold from those who are inclined toward Him and are trusting their lives to His Son.

God is not merely good, but goodness.

—C. S. LEWIS