#11. The GOODNESS of God
By Arthur Pink et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1
The goodness of God is not a passive trait--it is His benevolence in motion; His kindness expressed in countless ways. Every breath we take, every ray of light, every moment of peace--is a token of His abundant goodness. He opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing--not because we deserve it, but because He is good.
God is not merely good in what He does--He is good in who He is. His very essence is the fountainhead of all goodness. From His nature flows every blessing, both temporal and eternal. The world may be marred by sin, but the beauty of His goodness still shines through creation and providence, sustaining and upholding all things.
Nowhere is His goodness more clearly seen than at the cross. There, the Just One bore the penalty for the unjust. There, wrath and mercy converged. "For God so loved the world that He gave..."--gave what? Not merely gifts or comforts, but His beloved Son! This is the supreme revelation of divine goodness: the holy God making a way for sinners to be reconciled to Himself at infinite cost.
Even in affliction, God is good. He ordains trials not to harm, but to purify--to wean us from the world, and draw us nearer to Himself. "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your Word!" Psalm 119:67. His goodness is not diminished by our suffering; rather, it often shines brightest in the dark.
How this should humble us! We have earned judgment--yet He grants mercy. We bring nothing to the table--yet He fills our lives with good things. Let us not respond to such kindness with forgetfulness or complaint, but with awe, gratitude, and worship.
Let us trust His heart, when we cannot trace His hand. Let us praise Him, when we do not understand Him. For this we know beyond all doubt: "The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD!" Psalm 33:5
"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8