Because your love is better than life,
I will praise you. - Psalm 63:3 (NCV)

God is good. The goodness of God isn't some special component of God. God is good. In Him is all the goodness you could ever find. There's nothing that makes God do something good. There's nothing that compels Him to show acts of love and kindness towards us. God is good. When He does something, He does it as a God full of goodness. God doesn't have to conform to any kind of goodness. He is good. As simple as that.  

I don't know what You have heard about God. I have a bible that tells me something very different from what the world says. You cannot depend on the world to know who God is. The world does not know God. Their description of God is false. I know God to be a truly loving Father whose  compassion melts my heart. We are going to read what the bible says, about God's goodness. 

That same night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea where they went to the synagogue. 11 These people were more willing to listen than the people in Thessalonica. The Bereans were eager to hear what Paul and Silas said and studied the Scriptures every day to find out if these things were true. - Acts 17:10-11 (NCV)

I Hope that as you read, you can search the scriptures with me. I pray that as you read, God stirs up your spirit. I learned that I'd need to meditate on the word of God before I started to believe what it said. Without meditation, it's hard to believe the truth that lies in the word of God. Here's a little something that I do when I study my Bible. 

That is why since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I always remember you in my prayers, 17 asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know him better. - Ephesians 1:15-17 (NCV)

If you read the word of God like a novel, you'd never really discover the hidden truth.  A simple prayer is to ask for the spirit of revelation and wisdom as we study. It places complete trust in the Holy Spirit who reveals what the word of God says. When we pray like that, we acknowledge that the Holy spirit can teach us and help us understand what the word of God says. 

You might be wondering how these scriptures connect with knowing about the goodness of God. They don't. However, they do help us understand what we'd need to do before we open the scriptures. It's easy to become busy and miss what the Holy Spirit of God wants to reveal to you. In the next chapter, I'll talk about how to study the word of God. Now, let's discover God's goodness. 

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men! - Psalm 107:8 (NKJV)

How is it possible that David found God to be a good God? What's amazing about this passage of scripture is that, David uses the same words three times. 

Whenever I got into trouble with Mama, she'd call my name more than once. Whenever  she would call me, I'd know already that there was something I might have done. Mama wouldn't just call me three times. Why? Once should cover it. When she addressed me, I knew it was important. 

Why would David mention this three times? Let's go to the scriptures.  

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men! - Psalm 107:21 (NKJV)

David wanted to focus on God's goodness so much that He mentions it three times in one chapter. Most of the scriptures that I know about the goodness of God, I discovered in the book of Psalms. What you see about God is dependent on the relationship you have with Him. Someone that has a poor relationship with Him, would not easily see some of the things we see. It takes wisdom and revelation to discover the hidden truth in the word of God. Let's look at the last scripture. 

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men! - Psalm 107:31 (NKJV)

It's hard to see the goodness of God in the midst of trouble. You need to believe in the word of God. What the word of God says about God is true. Experiences are good. But experiences are not the best teachers. The best teacher is the word of God. ( see 2 Timothy 3:16). There's times I want to experience something a little extra, just to feel God's presence. But I don't. The word of God is enough. If the bible says God is good, He is good!

Father, help us to see your goodness. Help us to focus on you. Help us to know who you are as we seek you. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.