THE NEARNESS OF GOD: OUR GOOD

Psalm 73:28

“Why does a good God allow evil to persist and let bad people continue to enjoy good things while His own people suffer?”

This psalm expresses or reflects the believer’s struggle to reconcile God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, to balance God’s justice and mercy, to bring together both God’s severity and goodness in times of calamity.

CONTEXT

It is entitled A Psalm of Asaph. Asaph was a man divinely inspired, a master of music.

It is called a Psalm of Asaph, either because he composed it, or because it was committed to him to sing.

REASONS WHY THE NEARNESS OF GOD IS OUR GOOD:

I. BECAUSE OUR GOD IS GOOD

He begins with a declaration of God’s goodness: “TRULY GOD IS GOOD TO ISRAEL”

Psalm 145:9Matthew 5:45

Matt 7:11; John 1:12 vs 8:44“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” NKJV

Psalm 52:1; 119:68God has in Himself an infinite and inexhaustible treasure of all goodness and blessedness enough to fill all things.

“God is originally good, good of Himself, which nothing else is; for all creatures are good only by participation and communication from God. He is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself: the creature’s good is a superadded quality, in God it is His essence…

…He is infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a drop, but in God there is an infinite ocean or gathering together of good. He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is; as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him” (Thomas Manton).

All that emanates from God—His decrees, His creation, His laws, His providences—cannot be otherwise than good:

Genesis 1:31Psalm 145:15,16Psalm 33:5

The goodness of God is the life of the believer’s trust. It is this excellency in God which most appeals to our hearts.

Nahum 1:7

“When others behave badly to us, it should only stir us up the more heartily to give thanks unto the Lord, because He is good; and when we ourselves are conscious that we are far from being good, we should only the more reverently bless Him that He is good…

…We must never tolerate an instant’s unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questioned, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good; His dispensations may vary, but His nature is always the same.” (C. H. Spurgeon).

II. BECAUSE GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF OUR SALVATION, AND THE FOUNTAIN FROM WHICH WE DRAW OUR RICH SPIRITUAL SUPPLY. 1. Drawing near implies

a strangeness and distance.2. Drawing near involves the need of a Mediator.

Colossians 1:19-21; Hebrews 4:16; 10:22

All of the conditions for our drawing near to God have been met for us in Christ.

If we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. If we draw near to God with repenting hearts, he will draw near to us with a compassionate heart.

Matthew 15:8-9; John 4:24; Jeremiah 24:7; James 4:8-10

III. BECAUSE WE ARE TO KNOW GOD BETTER.

TO DRAW NEAR TO GOD IS TO HAVE A CLEAR SENSE OF WHO AND WHAT GOD IS. IT IS TO REALIZE HIS PRESENCE, TO KNOW HIS CHARACTER, AND ESPECIALLY AS THAT CHARACTER IS MADE KNOWN IN AND BY CHRIST.

TO DRAW NEAR IS TO EXERCISE TOWARDS HIM SUITABLE ACTS OF FAITH, DEPENDENCE, PRAYER, LOVE, GRATITUDE, PRAISE AND WORSHIP. IT IS THE COMPLETE YIELDING UP OF OURSELVES TO GOD TO BE DEALT WITH AS HE PLEASES.

Psalm 84:4-5, 11-12

Ps 16:2 - I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

God is the chief good. In him perfections are centered, wisdom, holiness, goodness: He has rivers of pleasure where the soul shall bathe itself forever with infinite delight.

Psalm 36:5-9

Psalm 34:8Psalm 31:19

IV. BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS OF HIS GOODNESS. 1. His nearness gives

deliverance from care and fear (James 1:17; Matthew 7:11).

2. His nearness is the only real preservative from sin (Psalm 34:11-14; Hebrews 4:16; 10:22).3. His nearness is the assurance to us of safety now and forever (Psalm 16:2,11; 23:6).

4. His nearness delivers us from worldliness (Psalm 17:14,15; Colossians 3:1-2).5. His nearness will quicken our spiritual desire (Psalm 63:1-5).6. His nearness will increase our usefulness in His service (Psalm 73:28c).