By Dr. Al Hearne II

This devotional series is focused on the theme: God Is, from Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Have you taken the time to stop what you are doing, to cease and desist all activity, and to truly reflect upon what God has done and currently is doing? 

This week we move from this overarching theme and begin to focus upon the attributes of God.  For the next three weeks we will focus upon the fact that God is Good!

Mark 10:17-18, “17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (ESV).

Three times in these two verses, Mark uses the word good. Each time, it’s the same word in Koine Greek, agathos, which means good, profitable, generous, upright, and virtuous. The language and tone of the passage indicate that the man was sincere in his question to Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” I believe that this man was genuinely seeking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life.

Yet, notice how Jesus begins his response. Jesus answers the man’s question with a question followed by a challenging theological statement. In doing so, Jesus redirects man’s attention away from Jesus and places it upon God. “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” With this challenging theological statement, Jesus ultimately points out that no one can do anything to inherit eternal life because only God is good.

Reflecting upon this, I have asked myself, what makes God good? Undoubtedly, there are thousands of ways to answer this question. There are thousands of verses in the Bible to support these answers. Ultimately, each person will give a different, profoundly personal answer, one that deeply resonates within their soul.

Here are six reasons I believe God is good, supported by six of my favorite verses that deeply resonate within my soul.

●     Only God can create something out of nothing: Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

●     Only God is perfect: Psalm 18:30 “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

●     Only God is present no matter where a person is: Psalm 139:7-10, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

●     Only God is unchanging and can always be counted on: James 1:17, “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.”

●     Only God offers salvation as a free gift to people who sin: Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

●     Only God gives a complete set of moral instructions for people to live by: Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Now, it’s your turn to answer the question, “What makes God good?". What Bible verses resonate within your soul as you answer this question?