Goodness
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way. (Psalm 25: 8-9)
As we continue to look at the attributes of God, we now examine His Goodness. God is good. He is gracious and kind and compassionate. He is good and does good. There is nothing in Him that is not good. The more you read the Bible, the more you see God’s goodness.
Look at the first chapter of Genesis and creation. “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
The Lord is good to all and is personal. “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” (Psalm 145:9)
Maybe you’ve sung the song, “God is so good. God is so good. God is so good, He’s so good to me.”
While it may be easy to praise God for His goodness during the good times in our lives, it’s important to remember His goodness even during the tough times.
When I think of God’s Goodness during tough times, I vividly remember a friend’s family. My friend Jamie was battling cancer, at a young age, and was in hospice care. Her family traveled from Alabama to Orlando, Florida to be by her side. Their example of praising God and remembering His Goodness – I will never forget and will forever be etched in my mind. While Jamie was in hospice, her family remained joyful, despite going through such a traumatic time – and they’d reach out and encourage other families. They always remembered God’s Faithfulness and Goodness, no matter how big or small. On the night before Jamie went to heaven, we had gathered around her bedside to pray. Her dad began to sing, “God is so good.” As tears were streaming down everyone’s faces, I remember thinking, “Wow, what an incredible example for each of us.”
No matter what happens in our lives, God never leaves us. In His goodness, He gave us the greatest gift – the gift of His only Son Jesus. Jesus is perfectly good. He is the goodness of God in human flesh. When we look at Jesus, we see the goodness of God.
When we are discouraged or overwhelmed, we can cling to the goodness of God and press on, knowing He is at work because His purposes for us are always good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) God is good all the time and all the time, God is good.
Prayer: Father, thank You for your goodness. You are loving. You are kind. You are gracious. You are always good. Thank You that in Your Goodness, You created us and everything around us. Help me to remember Your Goodness – even when I’m tired and overwhelmed. Thank You that You will never leave or forsake us. Thank You for always being good to us. God You are good all the time and all the time You are GOOD. Amen.
We hope and pray this encourages you today and that God’s goodness surrounds you. Please know you are prayed for!
Christine Batchelder