Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8) Many years ago, when my children were much younger, I would routinely come home after a long day just to find a toy lying in pieces on the counter. This was a crisis they wanted me to address: *Daddy, would you please fix this? No matter how mangled the item, they had an unspoken trust in my ability and desire to make things right. This simple act told me they thought I was a good father. As much as I love my kids and do whatever I can to provide for them and protect them, I know I cannot always be there to fix what is broken in their lives, especially now that they are young adults beginning their own lives. Thankfully, I have instilled in them the knowledge that their Heavenly Father is always there, ready, willing, and able to help when they cry out: Father God, would You please fix this?! I have taught them that He is trustworthy because He is truly a good Father. Here are seven ways that illustrate this truth:
1. God Is Uniquely Good
Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ So, Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God’” (Luke 18:18-19). We humans often show goodness to others after it has been shown to us first. Jesus set a higher bar with the Golden Rule: Do unto others first what you would have them do unto you. This is an improvement, but doesn’t it still imply that we are being good with an ulterior motive? We do good to others hoping they will return the favor. However, what Jesus was saying to the rich young ruler is that when it comes to “goodness,” God is uniquely good. God does good without expecting anything in return. He simply is good; He loves us and enjoys being good. His goodness is unmatched, unparalleled, unprecedented, and unequaled. When it comes to goodness, God is in a class all by Himself.
2. God Creates Only Good
Reviewing the Genesis account of creation, God shows us that He only creates what is good. When God created everything in the universe, He ended each day of creation with the words “…and it was good.” And after He created you and me, He added “and it was very good.” Whatever God creates is GOOD! God never wanted us to know or experience bad. The tree in Eden provided Adam and Eve with a free-will choice to love and follow God, but God didn’t want them to eat from it because He didn’t want humanity to ever know anything but good. However, the serpent in the garden attacked God’s motives and character, insinuating that God was holding out on them: “It’s not true,” it said… “God is lying to you!” What was Satan doing? He was getting Adam and Eve to doubt the goodness of God. It’s the same tactic he uses with us today. When we doubt the goodness of God, it opens the door for Satan to attack us with various maladies. Yes, the devil has been trying to trick us into thinking that God is not good since the beginning, getting us to believe the lie that God is responsible for evil in the world, when in fact, God only created good.So where does evil come from? It’s the result of man using his free will to go against God and His ways, and therefore, to side with the devil. God is not behind your problem – He is behind your promise. Here’s some simple theology to make sense of every situation:
God is good… the devil is bad.
God is uniquely good, and He only creates good. He is your good Father!
3. God Gives Only Good Things
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). James tells us that God gives only good and perfect things – always! He doesn’t vary from His modus operandi. So, if it’s not good, it’s not from God. Good things come from God, while bad things come from Satan and man’s sinful nature and actions.
God is good… the devil is bad.
4. God Only Does Good
David’s words in Psalm 119:68 are profound: You are good, and what You do is good; teach me Your decrees. That says it all! The Lord is good, and so is everything He does. Don’t believe Satan’s lie to the contrary! How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38). What good did Jesus go around doing? He healed those oppressed by the devil. Healing is good, and it’s from God. Oppression through sickness is NOT.
God is good… the devil is bad.
The term “doing good” comes from the Greek word euergeteō, which means to be philanthropic or to give charitable assistance. In other words, Jesus went around healing and destroying poverty. Poverty and lack are not blessings; they’re part of the curse. God doesn’t delight in His children being poor. The Word says He delights when we are prosperous! Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, ‘Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant (Psalm 35:27). Jesus, who was and is God manifest in the flesh, went about doing good – healing, destroying poverty, saving humanity from sin and hell, delivering captives from bondage, and spreading joy.
This was Jesus’ mission:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19).
God only does good things!
5. God Wants You to Have Good Things
The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right (Psalm 84:11). Doesn’t that motivate you to do what is right? When you do what is right, as God defines it, the promise is that you will experience the fullness of God’s goodness. Unfortunately, many people stumble over their theology here. But understanding this principle is essential to overcome Satan’s lie that God is not good. If we believe that God doesn’t want us to have good things, we might conclude that God is not good. But Proverbs 3:27 advises: Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in the power of your hand to do so. And if God tells us not to “withhold good,” we can be sure He won’t either! Remember, He’s a good Father. Does a good parent want their children to have good things? Emphatically, yes! And God wants us, His children, to have good things immeasurably more. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). When you do what is right and put God first (in your time, talents, and tithe), He will not withhold good things from you.
6. God’s Will for You Is Only Good
People often wonder if something is God’s will or not for their lives. While determining God’s will sometimes requires much time in prayer and seeking godly counsel, one thing is absolutely certain: If it isn’t good, it isn’t God’s will for you! I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2). So, is depression and anxiety good? Sickness and premature death? Poverty and lack? Smoking, drinking, drugs? Being abused, neglected, or abandoned? No, all these are bad things – destructive to health, wealth, and happiness. So, what then is God’s good will? As used in Scripture, “good” means pleasant, beautiful, excellent, rich, well, appropriate, beneficial, happy, honest, honorable, right, excellent, of good constitution, better, well, prosperous, fair, precious, fine, wealthy, favorable, agreeable to the senses, valuable, kind, ethical, bountiful…
God’s will is pleasant, beneficial, prosperous, and agreeable it’s only good: good plans and a good future. I say this because I know what I am planning for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future (Jeremiah 29:11). So, if it isn’t good, it isn’t God’s will for you!
7. God Loves Causing Good for You
One of Satan’s big lies is that God is responsible for everything that happens in the world – all the tragedy, heartache, pain, and problems. It’s all smoke and mirrors to get us to doubt the goodness of God. It allows Satan to fly under the radar, as a thief and the unseen cause of all the evil and destruction experienced by mankind. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Bad things sometimes happen to all of us. But just because they happen doesn’t make them God’s will. We can trust that He will bring good out of those bad things because He is ultimately in control. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). God loves to take the bad things that happen to us in this fallen world and turn them around for our good. Not only does it demonstrate He is infinitely more powerful than Satan, but it also proves that He is a good Father and will come to our rescue when we cry out: *Daddy, would You please fix this?!
Conclusion
In every season of life, whether in times of joy or adversity, we can find solace and strength in knowing that God is our good Father. His goodness is unwavering, His creations are inherently good, and His will for us is always for our benefit. When we embrace these truths, we can face life’s challenges with confidence, knowing that our Heavenly Father is always there, ready to turn even the darkest moments into a testament of His boundless love and goodness. Let’s live in the assurance of His goodness and trust that, no matter what comes our way, our Father is always good.