Psalm 135
3  Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing praise to his name, for he is gracious.
4  For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his own possession.
5  For I know that the Lord is great,
    our Lord is above all gods.

The Lord is good; the Lord is gracious; and the Lord is great! 
[For you scholars out there, the end of verse 3 is generally translated "for it is pleasant" (NIV, KJV) rather than "he is gracious."  Since the Lord is referred to as gracious in at least 13 other places in the scripture, we're still on solid ground!  And, by the way, did you notice that alliteration? Good, gracious, great -- and I didn't even have to work at it!]

God is good. 
A simple thought but not one that we should skip over too quickly.  There are many broken and hurting people in this world who do not accept that statement as truth.  How can God be God and not do something about all the rotten, evil mess in this world?  (Of course, the answer to that objection is that He has done something about it -- in the person of Jesus Christ!)  Others would strongly object to the moral implications tied up in the word "good". How dare the writer say that his Lord is good, thereby implying that others are bad?  What a judgmental, narrow, bigoted thing to say!  Others would say that such a term actually diminishes God.  God is an impersonal cosmic force, way above and beyond our narrow value judgments.  The point is that God reveals Himself to us in the Bible.  He tells us that He is good.  This is a truth that we can count on and rest in -- despite the horrific news we hear and the terrible problems that surround us.

God is gracious.
That's a very personal, caring word.  The truth is that God does care!  He accepts us, forgives us, renews us, restores us -- despite the fact that we don't deserve a bit of it.  That's grace -- unmerited, undeserved blessing and favor.

God is great.
God is loving, kind, merciful -- but don't forget that God is God!  His power, majesty, and splendor is such that our proper response to him is always worship and praise -- after we ask for, and receive, His forgiveness!  God is God -- and I'm not!  Think about that one for awhile.  I'm so glad I don't have to run the universe.  I don't even have to run my family or even my own life.  God's in charge.  What a relief -- for me and for all of you!

Do you need reassurance today -- or simply a reminder of the truth that you have already accepted?  God is good!  God is gracious!  God is great!  May these precious truths live in you!