The Meaning of the Goodness of God

Looking for a reason to praise God today?

Look no further than Psalm 135:3.

“Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good.”

I’m so glad that God reveals himself to us in his Word, and while doing so, he also tells us that every one of his attributes is reason to give him glory. You see this repeatedly in the Psalms, where the word “for” means, simply yet profoundly, “because.”

When you think of the goodness of God, what thoughts come to mind?

Here’s what James Boice writes about the meaning of God’s goodness:

“What could be more basic than this, that God is good? Nothing at all, since this is God’s essential nature. Even the word God is a shortened form of “the Good.” God is good in all things and in all ways. He is good in himself; indeed, he is goodness itself. His wisdom is good. His knowledge is good. His judgments are good. His power is good. His works are all good. When God was creating the universe he said after each step of his creation, “It is good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). And so it was! Nothing God did could have been done better.

“It is the same in matters of salvation. God’s thoughts toward us are good. It was good that he loved us and chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. The way he chose to save us was good. It was good that he sent Jesus at the appointed time to be our Savior. It was good that he called us to faith in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is good that he has called us to fellowship with himself and with one another in the church. God’s ways with us are good. And at the end of all things, at the time of the final judgment and beyond, the glorified saints will confess that he who began a good work in them has indeed carried it on to a perfect completion (Philippians. 1:6). The writer of Psalm 119 said of God, “You are good, and what you do is good” (Psalm 119:68). David cried, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him (Psalm 34:8).” (Psalms: An Expositional Commentary, Volume 3).

May the goodness of God fill your heart with joyful praise and adoration today!

For even more thoughts on God’s goodness, check out these blog posts:
What the Bible Says about God’s Goodness
8 Great Bible Verses about the Goodness of God

Have a grace-filled day, and thank you for reading this post.