The goodness of God is one of my favorite things to talk about, so before I get carried away, why don’t I let the Bible tell you about it first. What does each verse say about God’s goodness?
Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever…
Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Psalm 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
God is good and He’s good to His children. He takes care of His people. It’s pointed out to us in Nehemiah 9 that not only did God feed His children, the Israelites, for forty years while they wandered in the wilderness and bring them water from a rock, but their clothes never wore out on them all that time, and their feet never swelled. God was taking care of them.
We’re to know His goodness. We’re to understand that He is always good. When things look terrible, we’re to know His goodness, because for us, for the disciples of Christ, all things work together for good. I think we should be able to look back and see a trail of goodness. The things that seemed terrible when they happened can become memories of the goodness of God! Sometimes we can see His goodness right away. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes we need to ask His help to see the goodness, but it’s always there.
We can know that our good and perfect gifts are from God. We can know His goodness doesn’t have an end. It’s abounding! There’s more and more, and He delights to show goodness. We can taste and see His goodness. It’s there for us. It’s not just some idea. It’s something we experience. Ask His help to see His goodness day by day and in all you’ve been through.
I think it’s important to be absolutely convinced of the goodness of God. It will help you continue to follow Him when things are hard and to continue to give thanks and praise.
Lesson Point: God is good. The famous saying is: God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
Challenge Question: Where can you see God’s goodness in your life? Where do you struggle to see it? What should you do about that?