The Goodness Of God Series

**The Goodness of God**

Last week we talked about the greatness of God. Contemplating God's greatness is an important spiritual discipline. When we do this, we break free from our narrow perspectives — those little slivers of the universe we tend to get caught up in. And when we see how great God truly is, it fills us with hope, courage, confidence, and comfort.

We looked at Genesis 1:1 and discovered three truths about God: First, He is eternal — He was there at the beginning. Second, He is Creator — He created the universe out of nothing. Third, the universe He created is vast beyond comprehension, and He spoke it all into existence with just a word.

There's no denying it — He is a great God.

We echo Paul's words: *"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."* (1 Timothy 1:17)

This is the God we worship!

But here's the thing — all this talk about greatness is important, but it's not enough. We also need to know that God is not only great, but good.

Not everyone sees God as good, even if they acknowledge His greatness. But think about it — a God who is great but not good doesn't inspire devotion or admiration. A great but not good God only produces fear. That kind of God discourages trust and breeds anxiety rather than faith.

So today, we're going to look at another essential aspect of God's character — His goodness.

**Creation and the Goodness of God**

Let's continue looking at Genesis 1 and watch how the creation story unfolds. As you read through it, you'll notice a phrase that keeps appearing: "it was good."

Seven times this phrase shows up — once after each day of creation, and twice on the sixth day. And on that sixth day, after everything had been created, God adds an exclamation point to His work: "It was very good."

The Hebrew word used here is *tov* (????), and it's one of the most important words in the Old Testament. It appears over 700 times, making it one of the most frequently used descriptive terms in all of Hebrew Scripture.

But *tov* means so much more than our English word "good." It means beautiful, excellent, complete, perfectly suited to its purpose. When God calls His creation *tov*, He's not just saying it works — He's saying it reflects His own character.

Look at how this plays out in Genesis 2:9, where the Garden of Eden is described:

*"The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food."* (Genesis 2:9)

Did you catch that? Creation wasn't just functional — it was beautiful to look at and delicious to eat.

God didn't have to do that. He could have created a bland, utilitarian world that simply kept us alive. But that's not what He did. He created a world that thrills us with flavor and beauty. That tells us something profound about who God is.

I think about this often. Why are sunsets and sunrises so breathtaking? Why does food taste so incredible? Why are relationships so deeply meaningful?

I recently heard about a woman who had been an atheist but converted to Christianity. After she had a child and experienced the overwhelming love she felt for that baby, she turned to her husband and said, "I love this child more than evolution demands."

Think about that. Is there a purely naturalistic explanation for all the beauty we experience in this world? Some might argue there is, but I believe the far more reasonable explanation is this: our great and awesome God is also a profoundly good God who lavishes beauty upon us.

James understood this. He wrote:

*"Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows."* (James 1:17)

And the rest of Scripture confirms this truth again and again. Let me show you three ways Scripture describes God's goodness.

**First, God's goodness is seen in His character.**

*"For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."* (Psalm 100:5)

Notice what this verse connects together — goodness and steadfast love, goodness and faithfulness. These aren't separate attributes. They flow from the same source: God's character.

**Second, God's goodness is seen in His provision.**

*"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."* (Psalm 34:8)

The psalmist invites us to taste. This isn't just theoretical theology — it's experiential. God's goodness isn't merely something to believe; it's something to experience for yourself.