Psalm 145:8, 9 
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, 
slow to anger and rich in love. 
The LORD is good to all; 
he has compassion on all he has made. (NIV)

GOD is all mercy and grace— 
not quick to anger, is rich in love. 

GOD is good to one and all; 
everything he does is soaked through with grace. (MSG)

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What is God like? 

This particular psalm is full of descriptions of God’s nature and character. These two verses overflow with enough wonderful truth to keep us busy all day. 

God is gracious and compassionate. If your first thought about God is about punishment and discipline, you’re doing it wrong. He does punish evil. He does discipline his children. However, he begins by showing us the right way to go and the right things to do. He corrects our mistakes, helps us begin again more intelligently, and blesses us that we might be a blessing to others. 

God is slow to anger and rich in love. Don’t confuse him with some puny little Greek god on a mountain top, surrounded by other gods and goddesses, tossing lightning bolts, and churning up stormy seas. God’s anger is never malicious. God’s anger corrects and redirects. He knows the perfect limits and never exceeds them. 

God’s love endures forever. It’s His defining characteristic. If you want to know God, or think you understand God, and you don’t know the depths of His love, you haven’t even begun to understand God. Sing all the songs about love you want to. Write all the poetry about love you want to. All true love has its origin in Him. He is the sole source. He defines what true love really is. He’s proved it every day for all eternity, past, present, and future. 

God is good. Some of us know a song that says, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.” It’s become the kind of phrase that, over the last generation, people in many churches hear the words “God is good all the time,” and they immediately repeat, “All the time, God is good.” God does no evil. He is not enticed by evil. He does not entice others with evil. 

God is compassionate. Again, we hear this truth about his nature and character. It’s one of those things we probably can’t say enough. It’s true, no matter what we feel. It’s true, no matter what we face. It’s true all the time, everywhere, for everyone. 

This is a good start on understanding God. It is in no way the finish line. This particular psalm has more to say about God’s goodness, nature, and character. Take it and listen to it. Ponder it. Commit it to memory and trust it in every circumstance. 

This psalm tells us what we can expect from God today, tomorrow, and forever. You’re not going to get that deal anywhere else. But all this and so much more is available to you now in this very moment and every moment for the rest of your life. The truth is, all of time and eternity overflows with God’s goodness, kindness, compassion, and love. Luxuriate in it and dispense it. 

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I will luxuriate in God’s greatness and ask him to use me to distribute his grace and goodness everywhere I go. 

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Our Father, thank you for how good you are. Thank you for your grace, compassion, and love. As I go about my day today, make me a carrier of your kindness. Overflow my life with your goodness. Amen.