God is Good

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalm 136:1 NKJV

My youngest granddaughter spent the night with me last night - one of my favorite things in the world - Sleepover at Granna's house. That means there are other things that are put aside, writing being one of them. However, I found this sermon on line that is a great reminder of the goodness of God and I want to share part of it with you. It was written by Lloyd Stilley, who at the time of its writing (almost 5 years ago), was the pastor at First Baptist in Gulf Shores, Alabama, USA.

Lend me your ears now for two stories, and see if you can detect the common denominator they share. The first is one of those ripping good parables that Jesus told about our Heavenly Father. Once upon a time, there was a wealthy man who, early one morning, dropped by the marketplace, which was the ancient equivalent to the unemployment office. There he hired a bunch of guys to work in his vineyard for an agreed upon rate of pay. A few hours later, he went back again and then again later that same day, each time employing more and more men. In fact, as Jesus told it, the owner of the vineyard hired extra workers right up until quitting time. The last men were hired just one hour before sunset. 

As the last light of day faded, the workers gathered to receive their pay. They were lined up in order from the last ones hired and working backward. And this is when Jesus tucked a zinger into the story. Every man, no matter how long they had worked that day, received exactly the same pay: one day's wages. 

I don't have to tell you that things got a little testy by the time the line reached its end. A low murmur passed among those who were hired early that morning. Finally someone just said it: "This is not right. We got a bum deal. You have short-changed us! We did most of the work today. We carried the burden under the hot sun. But you treated them as equals in the labor! 

Jesus put these words in the mouth of the owner of the vineyard: "Didn't we agree together on what I would pay you? I've kept my word to you. Now don't begrudge my desire to be generous! For reasons that are mine, I wanted to do something unexpected, something crazy, something that would make these men run home to their wives and say, 'You're not going to believe what happened to me today!'" (Based on Matthew 20) 

Now for the second story, which took place in a classroom at Hannibal-LaGrange College in Missouri back in 2002. It was the day for final exams. Denise Banderman walked into the classroom minutes before the professor arrived. Everybody in the room was doing last-minute cramming. Then the professor enters and takes a few minutes to review. Most of it was familiar, but there were some things that no one remembered ever hearing. The professor responded with what sends cold chills up every student's spine: "This is in your textbook, and you are responsible for the content on this exam.
The time came for the test. He gave the word, every student took up their pen and turned over their test. I want you to hear this in Denise's own words: "I couldn't believe it! To my astonishment every answer on the test was filled in. My name was even written on the exam in red ink." 

A wordless stir traveled like a wave over the class as each student looked at their completed exam. On the bottom of the last page of every test was this note from the professor: "All the answers on your test are correct. You will receive an A on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A."  (Denise Banderman, Hannibal, Missouri; cited in PreachingToday.com, "Professor Takes Students' Test for Them") 

Now, consider what you have heard. There was the story about laborers who were paid a full day's wages for one hour's work. There was the story of an already-completed exam that gave every student an undeserved "A." What do these stories have in common? Call it out! 

Can I tell you something? Those aren't just the experiences in other people's lives. There isn't a single person in this room who hasn't experienced outrageous, lavish, unexpected, undeserved kindness. What is more, we experience these serendipities every single day. They are poured out over us constantly. I know this, and I declare it with total confidence today because of one unchanging truth that permeates every crease of reality: God is good! 

If you want to see God for Who He really is, here's a good starting point. "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good" (1st Chronicles 16:34). "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psalm 34:8) "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him and praise His name! For the Lord is good and His love is eternal, and His faithfulness endures to all generations." (Psalm 100:4-5)

Prayer:

Father,
            We enter into Your gates with thanksgiving for all You've done for us and continue to do. In our finite minds, we cannot even begin to fathom Your goodness and mercy and love toward us! How do we even begin to thank You for Your eternal love and faithfulness? Open our hearts to receive Your love in its fullness. Open our eyes to see Your goodness in every day. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Pastor Stilley's sermon in its entirety can be found here: https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-god-goodness-psalm-145-107