All Is Well

Psalm 117

Can you mention one work of God that does not call for praise? To praise is to commend, or to extol. And the idea is that we see good of one kind or another in someone or in something. To praise God is to see that He is good and that His works are not only without fault, but always serve a good purpose. In that light can you find one work of God that is not good?

Indeed, there are works of God that do not bring us what we judge to be good. He sends rain on the day we planned to have a picnic.  He lays us low with a painful disease. He snatches a loved one away from us by the cold hand of death.

The question is not, however, does this bring us what we call good? Rather it is, does this serve God in the fulfillment of His sovereign counsel? Can you name one work that delayed God in getting done what He planned for a particular moment? Does Paul not teach us that all things work together for good to those that love Him? What God wants done is what counts, not what our flesh craves. The minute we judge that God is not doing good, because His work does not serve our flesh, we, rather than praising Him, are denying Him the praise due to His name. Then we are praising our flesh and saying that God must be our servant, while our calling is to bow before Him and confess Him to be God.

But all is well and in the day of Christ we will see that everything that happened worked together for good, to bring us to the exact place in God's house that He eternally decreed for us, and that we owe Him everlasting thanks and praise, and that all His works were perfect.

There in God's house we will, from the bottom of our hearts, sing the versification of Psalm 117:1, 2:

Praise Jehovah, all ye nations!
All ye people praise proclaim;
For His grace and loving kindness
O sing praises to His name;
For the greatness of His mercy
Constant praise to Him accord;
Evermore His truth endureth;
Hallelujah praise the Lord.

Read: Psalm 145 
Psalter versification: #315

Devotions on the Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter #72
Why not sing along?

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Leviticus 4 ; Leviticus 5:1-19 
Mark 2:13-28 ; Mark 3:1-6 
Psalm 36:1-12 
Proverbs 10:1-2 
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Quote for Reflection:

    ...We must warn against a light and vain and unworthy approach unto the Lord's Table. And we must urge believers who are worthy, to come with joy and gratitude, warning them against the evil of unwarranted abstinence.

— Monsma & Van Dellen, The Church Order Commentary (Art. 59)