“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)
From eternity to eternity, God is altogether wholly, eternally, and immutably good because goodness is His very essence, His very being. “There is none good but one, that is, God” (Luke 18:19). He is good in His nature, and He is good in all that He does. From His sovereign rule over creation to His personal dealings with every soul, God is always good.
It is this goodness that brought all things into being and continues to sustain them moment by moment. As Genesis 1:31 declares, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
That same goodness was not lessened in the Fall. Though man rebelled and plunged creation into futility, God’s goodness continued to shine forth. His justice in punishing sin is good. His mercy in redeeming sinners is good. His patience in delaying wrath is good. “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 145:9).
Thomas Adams wrote, “God is not only good in Himself, but also good to us… the sovereign God who extends mercy to His people in His goodness.” This helps frame our perspective in adversity. When we suffer, it is not because God has abandoned His goodness but because He is refining and preserving us through it. Just as a good parent withholds what spoils a child, or permits hard lessons to produce maturity, so the Lord shapes His children by means of discipline, delay, and difficulty.
When a child is denied a toy, or a baby bird is nudged out of the nest, the immediate pain does not seem good—but it is. Likewise, God allows us to stumble, hunger, and cry out in order to teach us to soar. His goodness, then, is not the shallow kindness of indulgence, but the deep and wise kindness of holiness, sanctification, and glory.
Augustine wrote, “He is true life, to turn from Him is to fall and to turn to Him is to return to goodness.”[1] That is the testimony of every saint who has learned to trust God even in the dark. “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God cannot do evil. His glory and His goodness are bound together, and both meet in the face of Jesus Christ.
In Christ, we see God’s goodness embodied: merciful to the sinner, kind to the brokenhearted, patient with the erring, and faithful to His promise. This is the glory of the Gospel: that “mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10). All the strength and sovereignty of the eternal Lord are made gentle and accessible in His goodness toward His people.
So let the people of God trust Him in all things, adore Him in all His ways, and rest in the unchanging truth that He is always good.
Contemplations:
- He Is Always Good. I need to remind myself that God’s goodness is not tied to how I feel, what I understand, or how easy my life is. His goodness is a fixed truth, no matter what storms I face. In pain, in confusion, in waiting—He is still good. That steadies me when I’m tempted to doubt, and compels me to worship. I don’t need to see the outcome to believe He is acting with perfect goodness toward me.
- Goodness That Corrects. I often think of goodness only in terms of comfort. But God’s goodness also comes in the form of correction, sanctification, and refining. Like the child learning to ride a bike or the young bird forced from the nest, I grow best through what feels like hardship. I need to trust that God’s loving discipline is evidence that I belong to Him.
- A Goodness That Endures. I am moved by the fact that His mercy and truth endure to all generations. He is not only good to the faithful in Scripture, but also to me and my children and their children after them. His goodness has no expiration, no change. That gives me peace and courage as I walk through uncertain days. I know He has not forgotten to be kind or failed in His plans. His goodness is my anchor.
- Christ, the Proof of Goodness. If ever I question the goodness of God, I must look to Christ. In Him, God demonstrates the highest form of goodness—giving Himself for the undeserving. All the majesty and mercy of God are displayed in the cross. He who did not spare His own Son will not now fail to be good to me in lesser things for His goodness in Christ is everlasting.
Prayer (Adoration):
O most holy and gracious Father, the fountain of all goodness and mercy, we come before You in humble awe. You are good, and You do good—always, eternally, and without shadow of turning. You are not moved by whim nor governed by mood. You are goodness itself, pure and unmingled, from everlasting to everlasting.
You are good when You create and good when You destroy. You are good when You give and when You take away. Your goodness is never absent from any act of Your hand. It is the steady pulse of Your decrees and the shining crown of Your providence. Even when we are blind to it, Your goodness governs all things. You are good in blessing, and You are good in discipline. Your goodness is not earned, nor does it depend on us. It is who You are.
You are good in patience, sparing sinners long past their rebellion. You are good in justice, not allowing evil to go unanswered. You are good in covenant love, binding Yourself to Your people with promises that cannot fail. You are good in the giving of Your Son, in whom all the goodness of God was made manifest to us who were far off. Christ is the revelation of Your goodness. Through Him, we see the mercy, righteousness, and love that flow from Your throne.
We bless You for the daily proofs of Your goodness—the breath in our lungs, the food on our tables, the light of truth in Your Word, the comfort of Your Spirit, the communion of the saints, and the hope of glory. These are not small things. They are tokens of Your fatherly heart toward us. Even when affliction comes, You are good. Even in silence, You are kind. Even in waiting, You are faithful.
Teach us to love You for who You are. Fix our hearts on Your character. Help us rest in Your goodness when our plans fall apart, when grief knocks at the door, when understanding fails us. Let our songs rise in the valley as they do on the mountaintop, for You are always worthy.
Make us people who trust, love, and obey You because You are good. Cause our lives to reflect Your goodness to the world, that others may see and glorify You. Receive our adoration now, offered in reverence, wonder, and love. There is none good but You.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Psalm 100:5:
Ps. 106:1; Jer. 33:11; Ps. 25:8; Nah. 1:7; Deut. 7:9; Luke 1:50.
[1] Augustine of Hippo, “Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel according to St. John,” in St. Augustin: Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Soliloquies, ed. Philip Schaff, trans. John Gibb and James Innes, vol. 7, A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series (New York: Christian Literature Company, 1888), 224.
