I AM: Good

“You are good and do good; teach me Your statutes.”
-Psalm 119:68

God is good and does good.  In fact, God is the final standard and ultimate source of all that is good.  This is repeated all throughout the Psalms, and throughout the entire Bible.  All that God is and all that He does is good and worthy of praise.  There is no higher standard of goodness than God’s own character. 

The goodness of God is easy to profess joyfully when things are going well, but seems rather difficult to affirm when times are hard.  Often our circumstances seem like anything but evidence of God’s goodness. We are surrounded by the brokenness of the world.  In fact, all of creation is groaning under the weight of this brokenness. (Romans 8:22)  We face suffering, pain, loss and heartache all the time.  And yet, God’s Word says that He is good.  And so we must train our hearts to perceive His goodness all around us, even in the darkest of times.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
-James 1:17

There is no variation in the character of God.  He is unchanging!  Therefore, God cannot be any less good to you today in the midst of your sorrow, than He was while His Son hung on the cross and bore His wrath in your place. 

Our knowledge of God’s goodness is worthless if we are unable to recognize its manifestations in our lives.  Knowing God’s goodness without having experienced God’s goodness is like knowing that water is refreshing without ever drinking it.  But in order to experience the hope of God’s goodness we must go beyond simple knowledge of it. 

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”
-Psalm 34:8

Let’s resolve to taste and see the LORD’s goodness in our lives.  To let it wash over us and be changed by it!  The more familiar you are with God’s goodness and how it can be seen in your life, the easier it will be for you to recognize and experience it — for it to saturate every ounce of your being.

One way that we can begin to deepen our understanding of God’s goodness is by looking at how it is demonstrated through His mercy and grace.

God’s Mercy:

Mercy is God’s goodness in forgiving sinners and freeing them from the guilt of their sin.

God sent His son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die in order that you would be free from the guilt of sin, removed from the path of God’s wrath, and open to the flow of His mercies.  You can receive mercy because of the glorious sacrifice Jesus paid on your behalf.  If we really let this price sink in more deeply, His mercy would taste that much sweeter and be seen that much more clearly.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”
-Ephesians 2:4-5

God’s mercy is also seen in His compassion to those who are helpless or in despair.  His mercy stretches beyond reconciling us to God, and gives us freedom from fear, and hope for everlasting, permanent joy!  While each day greets us with new mercies from God to taste and experience, eternity will be filled with mercies that our hearts can look forward to with great confidence and hope!

“According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope”
-1 Peter 1:3

We see evidences of His mercy throughout His Word.  He made provision for widows and orphans to gather food during harvest (Deut. 24:19), set guidelines for how the poor ought to be treated (Deut. 15:7-11), healed the blind beggar (Luke 18:35-43), raised the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-17), and continually showed compassion on His people. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”
-2 Corinthians 1:3

“Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing!  For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted.”
-Isaiah 49:13

And our good God pours out His mercies on us every day in every moment.  Don’t let these provisions pass unnoticed!  It’s all undeserved, lavish favor from God!  Soak it in!  Look for them in each moment of your day! Write them down, praise Him for His comfort, compassion, and lovingkindness.  His mercies are awaiting you even in the pain, the darkness, the sorrow. 

“The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.”
-Psalm 145:9

Does this resonate with you?  I don’t know where you are today, or the circumstances surrounding your sorrow, but if you will trust God, mercy is in your life right now. It is all over your life — mercy that is new every morning.  Will you trust God and hold on to Him for that mercy?

God’s Grace

Grace is the flood of God’s goodness to those who don’t deserve it.  Grace teaches us how to live in freedom and directs us toward a future that is truly worth living for.  God’s boundless grace not only sees us as holy in Christ, but also stirs in us the desire to be holy.  It is His grace that forgives our sin, and grace that enables us to live righteously.  It is grace that molds us into the likeness of His Son, and promises that the work He has begun in our lives will be carried through to perfect completion (Phil. 1:6)

The grace of God, however does not always relieve us from suffering, but rather uses suffering to bring us to Himself. The Son of God suffered to save His people from eternal judgment, and He uses suffering again and again for our good both in this life and the one to come.

He is able to take what appears to be the worst situations and uses them for good.  And He can do that for you, no matter what you are going through.  Everything will not be easy, but it can draw you nearer to the Lord, transform you into the image of His Son, and be infused with meaning and hope.  This is how God’s grace becomes visible in your life.  It’s about knowing and believing that God is for you, not against you, even in suffering.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
-1 Peter 5:10

We’d much rather that God display His goodness in our lives by keeping us from pain, suffering, and sorrow, because we’re often more interested in getting from God than getting more of God. Will you allow your suffering to motivate you to come to Jesus to be filled by Him. Will you echo what the Psalmist proclaimed?

“There is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
-Ps. 73:25

He may not always remove you from your suffering, but He will give you the grace to withstand the affliction that He does not take away.  The greater the sorrow, the sweeter His grace.  His grace is enough to provide joy in the midst of sorrow.  It is enough for you to persevere under the most painful of circumstances, it is enough for whatever God allows into your life.  Will you believe that His grace is enough?  That His goodness is enough?  That He is enough?

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
-Hebrews 4:16

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Throughout the past weeks together, we have studied what the Bible reveals about the character of God.  I hope your hearts have been challenged and encouraged as you journeyed with us to discover how the name and character of God speaks great hope into our sorrow. 

To read the rest of the posts in this series, follow the links below!
I AM: Yahweh
I AM: Holy
I AM: Sovereign
I AM: Love
I AM: Faithful
I AM: Jealous
I AM: Unchanging

Ashlee is the Editorial Manager for Hope Mommies. She and her husband, Jesse have three children on earth, two in Heaven, and a little one on the way.
You can get to know her more by reading her blog, Beyond Undone