Slideshow image

Look around you. Wars rage across nations, tearing families apart. Violence stains our streets and headlines. Deception twists truth in the media. Addiction chains precious souls. Broken homes splinter under the weight of strife. Disease ravages bodies, and hopelessness whispers that darkness has finally won the day.

With so much evil bombarding our eyes and weighing on our hearts, it is no wonder we struggle to see the "good" shining through. We are often quick to notice what is wrong, but slow to recognize what is right. So let me ask you something: Can you think of anything good that happened to you?

Perhaps we need to understand the word before we can appreciate its full effect.

Good Defined

In our modern vocabulary, "good" has become a shallow term — a casual compliment for a tasty meal or a pleasant afternoon. Yet the English word carries a profound weight of moral excellence and functional perfection. It describes something that is not only pleasing but fundamentally right in character and consistent with its intended purpose. In truth, to be "good" is to align with a standard of virtue that reflects the character of the Creator Himself.

Good Divine

The Bible makes it unmistakably clear: God Himself is the source and standard of all that is good. "You are good and do good" (Psalm 119:68). Jesus said plainly, "No one is good but One, that is, God" (Matthew 19:17). Every trace of goodness you experience — every single microfiber of it — is the direct result of His nature and His nearness.

By God's grace you woke up today with breath in your lungs and strength in your body. Perhaps you enjoyed a warm meal, a kind word, a moment of peace, or the quiet assurance that you are not alone. Maybe it was something small — a sunrise, a smile, or a Scripture that seemed written just for you this morning.

Friend, that is GOOD.

But there is so much more. Through His grace, you have been lavished with gifts beyond counting: salvation by grace through faith¹; the Holy Spirit as your Comforter and Guide²; daily provision for your every need³; healing for body, soul, and spirit⁴; wisdom from above⁵; divine protection from the enemy⁶; joy unspeakable and full of glory⁷; peace that passes all understanding⁸; an eternal inheritance reserved in heaven⁹; and the full armor of God for every battle you face.¹⁰

As the Apostle James declares: "Every GOOD thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."¹¹

Notice — James does not say "a few good things" or "some good things." He declares that every good thing you have ever received flows from the generous, unchanging heart of your Heavenly Father. He is the unwavering source of ALL that is GOOD.

Good Behind You

Still, with life's hazards pressing in, you may feel that nothing good is happening. If that is where you find yourself today, I want to ask you to do something. Look behind you. What do you see?

Listen to the Word of God: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6). That word "follow" in the Hebrew is not a casual stroll — it is a pursuit. God's goodness is running after you. Running behind you!  And His mercy is chasing you down wherever you go!

Good Before You

But perhaps you are thinking, "Yes, I am grateful for the goodness of the past. But I am fearful about what the future holds."

Child of God — hear this clearly: It's ALL GOOD!

Do you remember what the Lord declared through His servant Jeremiah to a broken and discouraged people? "I have decided what I will do for you. I have plans to help you to do well. I do not want to hurt you. I want to give you hope for a GOOD life in the future."¹² God's goodness is not only behind you — it is also before you. It not only follows you -- forward-goodness awaits you!

Good Right Now

Others may be saying, "The past and the future may look good, but the struggles I face today — the burdens, the trials — are overwhelming. I cannot see any good at all."

Beloved, you may not be able to see it, but the all-seeing God you serve does. And right now, He whispers this truth into your heart: "Be certain and assured that all things work together and are fitting into a plan for GOOD to and for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose."¹³

In this magnificent promise, we discover an anchor that has held weary saints through the darkest nights of the soul. Consider carefully what the apostle is saying.

"All things…" The Greek word panta — all — leaves nothing out. Not the mountaintop experiences, and not the crushing valleys. Not the successes, the failures, the joys, or the heartbreaking tragedies. God does not punch a time clock. He is not working for your good only when life is pleasant. He is working just as powerfully in the silence as He is in the celebration.

"Work together…" The thought here is one of divine synergy. Think of a master chef. Raw flour is not satisfying. Bitter cocoa alone is unpleasant. Salt by itself is harsh. But when a skilled hand measures them precisely and subjects them to the heat of the oven, those separate ingredients produce something wonderful. So it is with God. He is the Divine Chemist — taking the bitter ingredients of our lives, blending them with His grace, and producing a masterpiece. He does not say that every event is good. He says they work together for good. He is weaving a tapestry in which even the dark threads serve to highlight the golden ones.

"To those…" This promise is not a generic letter addressed "to whom it may concern." It is a targeted, personal promise with your name written upon it. Heaven has addressed this truth directly — to YOU.

And the "good" God is working toward? The Greek word agathos is the crowning jewel of the verse. It does not simply mean something that feels pleasant. It means something that is beneficial, profitable, and spiritually useful in its ultimate result. While we focus on the discomfort of the present moment, God is focused on the eternal outcome.

Think of a surgeon's scalpel. It does not feel pleasant — but it is good, because it removes the disease. The good God is producing in your life is transformation — conforming you to the very image of His Son (Romans 8:29). God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. And He uses the bitter and the sweet, the sorrow and the joy, to shape within you a goodness the world can neither give nor take away.

How to Respond to Such Goodness

How, then, shall we live in light of this flood of divine favor? With thanks and praise — always and forever!

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High" (Psalm 92:1). Thanksgiving is not merely good manners — it is the language of faith. It is the voice of a heart awakened to truth. So sing it with confidence: "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 136:1).

Let those words rise with the morning sun, carry you through the afternoon hours, and echo into the evening shadows. Praise is not reserved for the mountaintops. It is your weapon in the valley and your anchor in the storm.

When you lift your voice and acknowledge His goodness, do not be surprised when miracles begin to unfold. The chains that bind you can fall away — just as they did for Paul and Silas at midnight, when their prison became a pulpit and their groans turned to glory as the earth shook and doors flew open.¹⁴ Your prison may yet become your platform or pulpit for testimony.

When enemies surround you, they can be scattered as in the days of Jehoshaphat, when Judah praised and confusion entered the enemy's camp — and victory came without a single sword being lifted.¹⁵ and how did it happen?  They lifted their voices louder and louder singing: "Praise ye the Lord, for He is GOOD; for His love endureth forevermore" (2 Chronicles 20:21, Wycliffe Bible- WYC). Praise becomes your weapon.

And the presence of God can fill your life just as His glory filled the temple — so powerfully that the priests could not even stand to minister.¹⁶ And it all happened because they sang a GOOD song: "Praise ye the Lord, for He is GOOD, His love is forevermore; suddenly the House of God was filled with a cloud..." (2 Chronicles 5:13).  God's GLORY comes down when we acknowledge His goodness!

So hear me well: do not let the enemy's petty distractions rob you of the avalanche of goodness God has prepared. The devil whispers defeat. God declares victory. Lift your hands. Lift your voice. Thank Him in the middle of it all.

Say it boldly. Sing it loudly. Believe it deeply:

GOD, YOU ARE GOOD, AND YOUR MERCY ENDURES FOREVER!

When you do, the atmosphere will begin to change. Bondages will break. Heaven will draw near. Light will pierce the storm.

Praise Him now — right where you are — and watch how the God of all good, who only does good, is working all things together for your good and for His eternal glory.

Amen and amen.

References

  1. Ephesians 2:8–9
  2. John 14:26
  3. Matthew 6:11
  4. Exodus 15:26; James 5:15
  5. James 1:5
  6. Psalm 91:11
  7. 1 Peter 1:8
  8. Philippians 4:7
  9. 1 Peter 1:4
  10. Ephesians 6:11
  11. James 1:17 (NASB)
  12. Jeremiah 29:11 (EASY)
  13. Romans 8:28 (AMPC)
  14. Acts 16:25–26
  15. 2 Chronicles 20:22–23
  16. 2 Chronicles 5:11–14