[For] you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. —Psalm 86:5-7
There is a reason why, as believers, we must always be motivated to come to God in our need. The psalmist says it in these words: ” For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving ” (Psalm 86:5).
Because of the goodness of God, we are confident that we will always receive the best from him. This speaks of God’s constant willingness to give. He enjoys giving and always gives us the best of himself.
Limitless Goodness
His goodness is extensive; he is generous in his mercy. His goodness is pure in it’s motives. When the psalmist meditates on this reality, he concludes, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you” (Psalm 16:2). God is the source of all that is good (James 1:17).
His goodness is supported by all his attributes. He is perfectly good because He is omniscience and he knows our real needs; his goodness is limitless because nothing can stop his power to do well. A special application of his goodness is his continued willingness to listen and answer our prayers. His goodness is a guarantee of his willingness to help us!
Radical Forgiveness
God not only supplies what is good in us, but because of his forgiving nature we are confident that he will remove our evil. He is always ready to forgive our sins. The recognition of our sins should not be a reason to turn away from God, but to get closer to him. “For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great” (Psalm25:11).
How can we grow in this conviction? —We need faith.
It is faith that will help us believe that God is real and good (Hebrews 11:6). It is faith that will help us pray to God with confidence in our time of need. The more we understand this truth, the more we are motivated to draw closer to God. And the closer we get discloses more of his beauty, attracting us all the more.
Because of Jesus Christ, we can come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. He has said and proven by the cross that he is good and forgiving!