Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Yesterday we began our reflections with rejoicing. Today we’ll continue with the reason we’re able to rejoice, which is realizing God is good!

Today’s scripture, Psalms 92:2-4 (NLT) realizes…
[2] It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, [3] accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp, and the melody of a lyre. [4] You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.

Consider…
One of the favorite call and responses in churches is…
God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

That proclamation is biblically based. There are multiple references to the LORD being good, like Psalms 100:5 (NLT) which proclaims…For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

That proclamation is accompanied by CeCe Winans testifying…

I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

‘Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah

‘Cause all my life You have been faithful, oh yes You have
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

As we reflect on 2025 on the second to the last day of the year, we should be inspired to sing of the goodness of God too!

A main reason for our song is expressed by the prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:21-23 (NKJV)…
[21] This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. [22] Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Regardless of the myriad of tests God gave us, or our pass or failure, we’re still here to testify. That means, because of God’s mercy we were not consumed and His compassions never failed!

If you’re reading this, you should realize you’ve experienced another 364 days of God’s new mercies and faithfulness.

As I reflect on that realization, I hear Eddie James singing…

As I look back over my life
I can see how Your love has guided me
Even though I’ve done wrong
You never left me alone
But You forgave me
And You kept on blessing

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope
It’s because of Your mercy that we are not consumed
Because Thy compassions fail not, they are new every morning
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness…

You’ve been
Lord, You’ve been so faithful
(Even though sometimes I didn’t do what You wanted me to do)
You’ve been
Lord, You’ve been so faithful

I can never repay You, Lord, for what You done for me
How You loosed my shackles and You set me free
How You made a way out of no way
Turned my darkness into day
You’ve been my joy in the time of sorrow
Hope for my tomorrow
Peace in the time of storm
Strength when I’m weak and worn

It’s hard to not have a praise party when realizing just how faithful and good God has been.

For example, our standing here is evidence of what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NLT)…
[8] We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. [9] We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. [10] Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

James Fortune lyrically testifies…

I know you’ve been hurt by someone
And you feel your smile is gone
No one can understand your tears
Or what you’ve been through just to make through
The pain that you felt hurt so deep inside
And you often ask yourself why

[Chorus:]
But you survived, you survived
All The pains that you went through
But Jehovah brought you through
You survived, you survived it all

You may have lost a loved one
And you can’t understand why they’re gone
Just understand god makes no mistake
And they’re smiling down from a better place
The pain that u felt hurt so deep inside
And you often ask yourself why

[Chorus]

By the grace of GOD
You made it through
With a strength in GOD
He gave to you
In spite of all
You can smile again
You can hold your head up high

[Chorus]

You survived, you survived, you survived, you survived ooooo [x3]
After all that you’ve been through know you know GOD carry you through the rain and pain and fall and pain

For all of us who may have considered 2025 one of our most challenging years, reflect and realize, you weren’t consumed, because of God’s new mercies every morning, you survived!

Perhaps, 2025 was more disappointing than challenging, the Holy Spirit encourages you to let Kirk Franklin help you realize…

It could’ve been me with no clothes
No shoes and no food to eat
It could’ve been me, without Your love
Lord, tell me where would I be?
It could’ve been

Me in the cold with
(Everything gone)
No house, no job
(Outside all alone)
Sitting trying to figure out
(Where I went wrong)
Can somebody help me?
(Tell me, what do I do?)

Can’t feed my kids need
(Money for the rent)
Bills after bills but
(Everything’s spent)
The enemy telling me you
(Might as well quit and)
With tears in my eyes crying
(Lord, please get me through)

See it’s easy to complain
(‘Bout material things)
When you don’t have to worry
(‘Bout whatever life brings)
But somebody tonight
(Don’t know what they gonna eat)

So I gotta be careful
(‘Cause it could’ve been me)
See that’s the reason
(I just can’t thank You enough)
No matter how hard I try, Jesus I realize

Thank You, thank you, could’ve been me
(Then I)
You didn’t have to do it, no, thank You

This musical and scriptural realization of God’s…

• unfailing love,
• never ending mercy,
• tender hearted compassion,
• undeniable faithfulness,
• sufficient grace

…is meant to inspire us to realize…
God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!

The Holy Spirit just helped me realize another testimony of God’s goodness. Proverbs 12:21 (NLT) teaches us…No harm comes to the godly, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

And in Isaiah 54:16-17 (NLT) we’re told…
[16] “I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. [17] But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!

Of course that makes me hear Fred Hammond testify that we were able to go through 2025 realizing…

No weapon formed against me shall prosper
It won’t work
No weapon formed against me shall prosper
It won’t work

God will do what He said He would do
He’s not a man that He should lie (stand by His word) He will come through
Say, God will do what He said He will do
He will stand by His word, He will come through

Oh, I won’t be afraid of the arrow by day
From the hand of my enemy
I can stand my ground with the Lord on my side
For the snares they have set will not succeed

No weapon formed against me shall prosper (no way)
It won’t work (it won’t work)
No weapon formed against me (shall prosper) shall prosper (and no way, no way)
It won’t work

But it also makes me hear Kurt Carr testify…

There were dangers awaiting me
Destruction was sure to be
But thank God for angels

That were shielding and protecting
And looking out for me
Thank You, Lord

The Devil had a plan to kill me, I know
But God intercepted his plan
And told the Devil, “No”

God blocked it
He wouldn’t let it be so
No, He wouldn’t let it be so

Haven’t lived a perfect life
Seems I’ve done wrong more than I’ve done right
But thank God for compassion and forgiveness
That kept me from a terrible plight

You see
My life was spinning out of control
The fact that I’m still a live today
Ain’t nothing, nothing but a miracle

God blocked it
He wouldn’t let it be so
No, He wouldn’t let it be so

…as the saying goes, God has protected us from dangers seen and unseen. Yet more evidence that God is good!

Often the way we reflect reads more like spiritualized regret, but the LORD wants us to never forget the good He’s done. That reminds me of Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (NLT)…
[10] “The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. [11] The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, [12] be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

Many of us realize we’ve been blessed beyond measure. God has given us unexpected and unmerited blessings and favor.

Whether physical, financial, mental, emotional or spiritual, for many of us 2025 was in the lyrics of Anthony Brown…

Every time I turn around
Blessings, blessings
Every time I turn around
There will be blessings on blessings
Blessings on blessings
Every time I turn around
Blessings, blessings
Every time I turn around
There will be blessings on blessings
Blessings on blessings

The favor of the Lord rests upon me
In my hands I have more than enough
(Yeah, more than enough)
Surely goodness and mercy is following me
And my God will supply every one of my needs
The favor of the Lord rests upon me
In my hands I have more than enough
Surely goodness and mercy is following me
And my God will supply every one of my needs

Every time I turn around
Blessings, blessings
Every time I turn around
There will be blessings on blessings
Every time I turn around
Blessings, blessings
Every time I turn around
There will be blessings on blessings

That reminded me that we should always do as the hymn tells us…

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done

Like Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:21, it’s always good recall what God has done and who He is, no matter what’s going on.

The fact is everyone of us is way more blessed than we deserve or realize.

My Lord, that just made me hear Cory Asbury sing…

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me, uh-uh
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Indeed this recklessly loving God has been so good to us.

Just as I was about to close, brother Asbury tuned up my ears with another favorite…

I waited patiently upon the Lord
And He inclined and heard my cry
He pulled me up out of the miry clay
He set my feet upon the Rock
He gave me beauty for ashes and joy for my mourning
And praise for heaviness
He put a new song in my mouth and a crown upon my head
He gave me life forevermore

He’s been so good, so, so good to me
so good, so, so good to me
So good, so, so good to me, Jesus
He’s been so good, so, so good to me
so good, so, so good to me
So good, so, so good to me, Jesus

He picked me up
and He turned me around
And He placed my feet
on the solid ground
Hallelujah, hallelujah

I’ve got love, joy, peace and righteousness in the Holy Spirit

He’s been so good, so, so good to me
so good, so, so good to me
So good, so, so good to me, Jesus
He’s been so good, so, so good to me
so good, so, so good to me
So good, so, so good to me, Jesus
He’s been so good, so, so good to me
so good, so, so good to me
So good, so, so good to me, Jesus
He’s been so good, so, so good to me
so good, so, so good to me
So good, so, so good to me, Jesus

That’s the reflection point today, realize God is good, and has been good.

As we reflect, without regret, on 2025 we can all realize with the late great James Cleveland…

God has smiled on me
He has set me free, mm
God has smiled on me
He’s been good to me

He is the cause of all my joy
Fills me with His love
Everything I need
Ooh, He sends it down from up above, hallelujah

smiled on me
He has set me free
God has smiled on me
He’s been good to me

A lamp unto my path is He
Without Him, I would fall
I don’t know what He is to you
Oh, but to me, He’s my all in all
Thank you, Jesus

He’s been smiling on me
(He has set) oh, He set me (me free) He set me free
(God has) God has smiled on me (smiled on me) thank you, Jesus
(He’s been good to me) been good, He’s been good to me

Side note, I always thought God only blesses believers until my wife reminded me that Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45 (NLT)…
[44] But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! [45] In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

And believe it or not that’s extremely important to believers because Romans 5:8-10 (NLT) explains…
[8] But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. [9] And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. [10] For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

Do you see it, God restored our friendship while WE were still enemies.

That tells me everyone breathing should realize the goodness of God.

I mean Jesus’ brother explains in James 1:17 (NLT)…Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

Which leads me to the last lyrical testimony, by way of The Soul Seekers…

I’ve got money in the bank; cars in the drive way
I’ve got a house I can claim; clothes in my closest
I’ve got a bed for my head; shoes for my feet
I’ve got breath in my body and if I was just anybody
I’d say it’s all good but I know better its all God (yeah)
But I know better its all God

I’ve got friends I can call when I need help
I’ve got family when I fall to pick me up
I’ve got a bed for my head; shoes for my feet
I’ve got breath in my body and if I was just anybody (sing child)
I’d say (I’d say), it’s all good (it’s all good), but I know better its all God
But I know better its all God

It’s all God
It’s all God
It’s all God
It’s all God
It’s all God
It’s all God
It’s all God

and if I was just anybody
I’d say it’s all good
But I know better its all God

I pray this lyrical and biblical montage has helped us realize, that 2025 has been another year of evidence that…

The LORD is good!!!

The final realization that the Holy Spirit gave me is that many people around the world are making New Year’s celebration plans. But God wants those of us who realize He is good to reflect Ephesians 5:18-20 (NLT), which exhorts…
[18] Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, [19] singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. [20] And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray this post gets you off to a good start of making music to the Lord in your heart, and giving Him thanks for everything!

Today’s song is…
Lord You Are Good

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)