When I was a kid, our church had a Sunday greeting that went like this: someone would say, “God is good,” and the church would reply with “All the time.” Then the first person would say, “And, all the time,” and the church would reply “God is good.” As a young church kid, I did not appreciate these words the same way that I do now. This week’s attribute; God is good.
The word good is simple enough for us to understand; the idea of something or someone being or having an acceptable or desirable quality or moral virtue. We know that people who are sometimes good are also sometimes bad, however, God is always good. Throughout all of Scripture, the common refrain can be found, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” Psalm 25:8 says, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.” I like the contrast found in this verse. The Lord is good, sinners—God’s Word says that’s all of us—are not (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Therefore it is the Lord who instructs or helps sinners, who are utterly incapable of helping themselves. God is good.
From the beginning of creation we see the goodness of God. Genesis 1:31 says, “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” Only a God who is good is capable of making everything good. Psalm 34:8 calls to mankind, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
Now, we must understand that God’s goodness doesn’t change when we face hardship (James 1:2-4) or when we receive His discipline (Hebrews 12:11). Nor is God any less good in His punishment of sin and sinners. The Bible teaches that God cannot sin, He cannot have fellowship with sin (1 John 1:5), sin deserves punishment (Romans 6:23). Therefore, God is just as good in punishing sin and sinners (Proverbs 11:21) as He is in His mercy and grace towards them Psalm 119:68 says that the Lord is good and He does good. Both who God is and what God does are good.
Go Deeper:
Read Psalm 34 and reflect on the goodness of the Lord in your life.
Pray and ask the Lord for help in seeing His goodness more fully.
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)