Oct 27, 2019
One of the attributes of God that is often named is His goodness. Even children learn to recite this perfection in their prayer before meals:
"God is great. God is good. And we thank Him for this food. Amen."
The goodness of God can be defined as "that perfection of God which prompts Him to deal bountifully and kindly with all His creatures" (Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 70). The goodness of God is a general attribute of God which is displayed differently, depending on the object. When God is good to animals and every human being, it is often referred to as His 'common grace.' When His goodness is manifested in the salvation of His chosen ones, it is often referred to as His 'special (or specific) grace.'
The reality of the goodness of God, even in a world which has much pain, cannot be denied. The Bible is clear that God is good even to the wicked.
". . . he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Mt 5:45); ". . . he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil" (Lk 6:35).
"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" (Jam 1:17). Every breath, every meal, all hearing, all sight, every embrace, every display of love, every pleasure of our lives is unmistakable evidence of God's infinite goodness.
Let us be careful not to ignore Him with any failure to give God His rightful, thankful praise. "The LORD is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made" (Psa 145:9).