Finding Peace in The Goodness of God

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
    studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant forever.
    Holy and awesome is his name!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever!Psalm 111:1-10

We should be reminded daily of the goodness of who God is. To know and rest in the promises and the works of the Lord should bring us peace, knowing that He is sovereign and holding everything together. This particular Psalm does just that. It speaks of the majestic works of a good and faithful God who loves us and meets us just where we are.

The Psalmist starts by rejoicing in the works of the Lord. Like the Psalmist, we too should give thanks with our whole heart. We should lift high the name of the Lord for all that He has done- not only in our individual lives but also in the community with which we gather and do life. We have been blessed to witness His goodness and the peace that we find in Him. He is gracious and merciful, and in his faithfulness He remembers His covenant forever.

I am so thankful for the fact, as stated in verse 7, that the works of His hands are faithful and just and that His precepts are trustworthy. Charles Spurgeon said, “He is no fickle despot, commanding one thing one day and another [on a different day], but his commands remain absolutely unaltered, their necessity equally unquestionable, their excellence permanently proven, and their reward eternally secure.”

The peace we find knowing that He is faithful and His ways are trustworthy allows us to stand and walk in a way that is unshaken in a crooked and misguided culture. It’s this peace that should compel us to share with others all that He has done for us personally and even for humanity itself. Verse 9 literally states that He sent redemption to His people- yet another aspect of peace that we find. The fact that God Himself sent His only Son to bring about peace between a Holy God and a fallen, broken humanity- that gift of peace gives us reason to celebrate our redemption and restoration. At the same time, it mandates our witness of His goodness to a lost and broken world.

Isaiah 9:6 tells us, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government  will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This verse tells us that Jesus came to be the Prince of Peace. The word peace is the Hebrew word shalom, which means completeness, safety, or well-being. Jesus came to make us complete by saving us from our sinfulness.

My prayer during this season of Advent is that we would revel in the hope, peace, joy, and love that we find in our Redeemer.