When All is Good (Psalms of Orientation)
Scripture Focus
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
(Psalm 145:1-13)
Types of Psalms:
Orientation: “God is good, life makes sense, and I trust Him.”
Disorientation: “Life is broken, and I don’t understand what God is doing.”
Reorientation: “God has met me in the darkness, and I trust Him in a deeper way than before.”
“I have been accustomed to call this book (the Psalms), I think not inappropriately, ‘An Anatomy of All the Parts of the Soul’; for there is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror.”
(John Calvin)
“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”
(James 3:9-10 ESV)
Psalms of Orientation Teach Us….
“To Redefine What is Good and Beautiful”
Psalm 8 & 19 (beauty of creation) “lord, the heavens declare your glory, the sky it’s handiwork.”
Psalm 1 (following God) “blessed is the man who walks not in the ways of the wicked.”
Psalm 84 (rejoices in God’s provision) “… no good thing will god withhold…”
Psalm 23 (sees God’s gifts everywhere) “… surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…”
Psalm 145 (rejoices in GOD HIMSELF) “… the lord is gracious and merciful… good to all.”
Reflection Question:
What good from God am I forgetting about, and am I calling anything “good” that the Psalms remind me is not.
Psalms of Orientation Teach Us….
“Redefine Rightful Ownership”
(Psalm 145) “I will extol you my God and King… great is the Lord and greatly to be praised… The Lord is gracious… They shall speak to Your glory… Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom.”
Reflection Question:
What blessing in your life has become so familiar that you’ve stopped tracing it back to the hand of God?
Psalms of Orientation Teach Us….
“To Remember God’s Goodness When We Don’t Feel It”
REFLECTION QUESTION:
If suffering entered your life tomorrow, what truths about God’s character have you stored in your heart today that would help carry you through the storm?
Closing Blessing:
May the Lord open your eyes
to see what is truly good.
May He teach your heart
to love what He loves,
to delight in His ways,
and to call beautiful
what He calls beautiful.
May every blessing
lead you back to the Giver.
May gratitude guard your soul,
and worship become
your first response to His grace.
And when seasons of sorrow come,
may you remember
what you learned in the light:
that the Lord is still good,
His steadfast love still endures,
and His mercies are new every morning.
May your heart remain
oriented toward Christ,
anchored in His promises,
and at rest in the goodness of God.
In the name of Jesus Christ
Amen.
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