“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story..." Psalm 107:1-2a

For months, I have been planning to clean out my closet and dresser drawers. I kept postponing it until last week. The day came where I knew it was time to tackle this monster!

When finished, there were two piles - a trash pile and a giveaway pile. I had a big box and two bags to take to a local establishment. As I picked up the box to put in the back of my vehicle, I realized how blessed I am. Even though I had this stack of items no longer needed, I still had plenty of shoes, clothes, coats, purses, scarves, costume jewelry, etc. The words began to pour out of my mouth, thanking God for all of his blessings and provision. I then looked at my home and the vehicles I drive, and the tears began to flow. We don't have a fancy house--it is a lived-in home (if you know what I mean) but it is ours - a blessing from God. My vehicle is not brand new, in fact, it is a 2013 and it doesn't have all the new-fangled gadgets. But! That old Ford Expedition is exactly what I prayed for and God provided. (Another story for another time!)

Every year in November, I try to turn my attention to all the blessings that I have been afforded. However, these past few years have caused me to realize how good God is all year through. The passage above is quite interesting. The words in verse one are actually in the Bible seven times (NIV) with other references of similar wording. But in this chapter, the writer supports his words in verse one with the remaining of the chapter, "Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story..." And that is exactly what the writer does - he tells us how good God is and of God's faithful love.

The first testimony tells us of a group that was hungry, out in the desert with what probably seemed the end of their life. They cried out to the Lord, the Lord heard them, and God answered.

The second group, at the hands of fierce, foreign oppressors, were enslaved and suffering the punishment of slavery. And, they cried out to the Lord, the Lord heard them, and God delivered them.

The third group was stricken with a disease that no doubt was draining their life from them. What did they do? They cried out to the Lord, the Lord heard them and extended his mercy to them.

And the fourth group, was at the hands of the sea's power, fearing for their lives. And you know the story, they cried out, God heard them, and God calmed the storm.

Here's the thing -- we also live our lives day in and day out, facing good days, along with, all kinds of heartaches and crises that arise. When the hard times come, we, too, cry out to the Lord, He hears us and He answers.

So, if we know that God hears us and answers in His perfect timing, let us set in our hearts a new routine. Let us begin each day giving thanks to the Lord simply because God is good and his love is everlasting. Why? Because we all have a story to tell of how we’ve overcome.

God is good – all the time—and all the time, God. Is.Good.