Top Bible Verses That Teach Us The Goodness Of God

How do we learn about the goodness of God? We have many Bible verses about God’s goodness but there must be a beginning point. So, we teach our toddlers a couple of 3-word Bible verses:

• God is good (summary of Mark 10:18)
• God is love (see I John 4:8).

These are easy enough for those learning to speak. But we ‘outgrow’ these simple truths at our own peril. In fact, the longer I walk my own spiritual journey the more profound these simple truths become. 

The goodness of God and the love of God cannot be separated from Who He is. Each is an attribute of God – aspects of His unchanging nature. And the characrer (nature) of God is the central theme of Scripture. He does what He does because He is Who He is. Therefore, God’s Word – the Bible – is His Self-revelation. How else could finite, visible people comprehend the infinite, invisible God? He reveals Himself so that we can know Him, trust Him and have a relationship with Him. 

Before we dive into a list of Bible verses about God’s goodness, two examples will help us see that His goodness and love are woven together throughout the tapestry of Scripture. He is good because He loves and He loves because He is good. Let’s begin at the beginning!

God’s Goodness In The Beginning

The opening of the Old Testament shows God’s goodness. Everything God created was declared to be good. Notice Genesis 1:31 – 

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good… 

Genesis 2 gives us the details of creating Adam and Eve. And then the tempter arrived on the scene in chapter 3. Even if you’re familiar with the account, citing some verses will help make an important point. Satan had witnessed God’s goodness. And that goodness was Satan’s point of attack in tempting Eve. Genesis 3:1b shows us the subtlety of it:   

Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’

Did God really say… God had spoken directly to Adam, then Adam had informed Eve. That was the opening for Satan to question God’s integrity and therefore, His goodness. But Satan had only just begun. In Genesis 3:3 we read:

‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’

Here, Satan’s first statement is to say: God is a liar. Yet, Jesus revealed the truth about that in John 8:44.

Satan is a liar and the father of lies!

The lie in Satan’s second statement is that God was withholding something good from Adam and Eve. But the Word of God reveals something quite different. In Psalm 84:11 the psalmist was inspired to reveal the truth:

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

The Lord’s Goodness In Judgment

Holiness is another aspect of the everlasting, unchanging nature of God. Adam and Eve were still loved after they sinned. But holiness demands that sin be judged. The final aspect of God’s judgment of their sin was to banish Adam and Eve from the Garden. 

Was that good and loving? Absolutely! Genesis 3:23 puts love and goodness on display. Notice God’s intention behind His action:

And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’

Man was made for eternal life and fellowship with God. That is goodness beyond our ability to comprehend. But when Adam and Eve sinned, their sin separated them from God. They had become fallen creatures. And God loved Man too much to leave him in that fallen condition with no hope of restoration. Separating them from the tree of life meant there was hope for their future (and ours!).

God’s Goodness At The End

The New Testament closes with the return of Christ. And if I may, the return to perfection. Scripture tells us: 

II Peter 3:13 – But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells..

Revelation 21:1 – Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

The original Creation was perfect; unmarred by sin. So, just prior to remaking heaven and earth in perfect form, God will do away with all evil. The evil one will be put away forever – see Revelation 20:10. But that isn’t enough. All of Satan’s evil, unforgiven followers will also be put away forever – see Revelation 20:11-15. Then all will be made new and perfect for eternity.

A Perspective Problem

God’s goodness is only questioned from what I call the parenthesis of time (see diagram). God created time and therefore exists outside of it. But we are bound by time and can’t fully comprehend a reality that is free from time. Let me illustrate the perspective problem this way:

You love your child more than words can say. Your child gets sick. An appointment is set at the doctor’s office. A diagnosis is made and medicine is prescribed. The medicine tastes bad, smells bad or both. From the child’s perspective, this is terrible. Furthermore, you are terrible for putting that foul tasting stuff in his/her mouth.

But your perspective is much better. You have an understanding of disease and the potential long-term effects it may have on your child’s health. You know the necessity of medications to aid the body’s healing powers. And you know that your child will eventually come to the point of knowing that the unpleasant medicine was actually a tangible expression of your deep love. 

If we multiply that difference of perspective many times over, we begin to understand how we might doubt God’s goodness and love. But the truth is, neither can ever be legitimately questioned. And the following Bible verses about God’s goodness will make that abundantly clear. I’ll add a comment here and there, but be encouraged by what our good, good Father has told us about Himself!

Old Testament Verses About God’s Goodness 

Genesis 1:10 – God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters He called ‘seas.’ And God saw that it was good. Also see Genesis 1:4, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25     

Genesis 1:31 – God saw all that He had made, and it was very good…

Comment: Matthew 7:17-23 lets us know that good fruit does not come from a bad tree (my summary). Since the creation was good, it came from a good Source. Otherwise, God’s statement is a lie and He is not good.  

Genesis 50:20 – You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Exodus 33:19 – And the Lord said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion…’

Exodus 34:6-7a –  And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin…’

I Chronicles 16:34 – Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Nehemiah 9:20 – You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.

God’s Goodness In The Psalms 

If we had no other statements to reveal the goodness of God, we could know it from the Psalms. These writers were divinely inspired to record their songs and prayers of worship. They declare the everlasting kindness of God because they experienced it in their own lives. And we can be thankful that their praises are preserved for us!

Psalm 16:1-2 – Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You.’

Psalm 23:1-3 – The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Comment: This is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. Its imagery is a shepherd caring for sheep. I’ve included it because it is a record of demonstrated goodness.

Psalm 23:4 – Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Comment: One does not drive sheep as they would cattle. Sheep must be led. So a good shepherd is always in front of his sheep no matter the challenges that may surround them. The shepherd’s rod and staff were used to guide and protect the sheep.

Psalm 23:5 – You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Comment: Modern culture misses a significant aspect of this verse. The full cup served in ancient, near-east cultures as a sign of welcome. But David noted that his cup overflowed. That meant that the goodness of God extends an eternal welcome to those who are His. 

Psalm 23:6 – Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Comment: Many years ago I heard a pastor comment on this verse and it has stayed with me. His thought was this: The Shepherd does lead the flock, but his sheep dogs run beside and behind keeping the flock close to the Shepherd. I think one dog is named Goodness and the other is called Mercy. 

Psalm 25:7 – Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

Psalm 25:8-10 – Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way.The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

Psalm 27:13 – I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

Psalm 31:19 – Oh, how abundant is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You and worked for those who take refuge in You, in the sight of the children of mankind!

Comment: Did you notice? Abundant goodness.

Psalm 33:5 – He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Psalm 34:8 – Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Comment: His goodness can be experienced (taste).

Psalm 36:5-6 – Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

Psalm 65:4 – Blessed is the one You choose and bring near, to dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple!

Psalm 65:11 – You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. 

Psalm 69:16 – Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; according to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me,

Comment: God’s approach to us is from His goodness.

Psalm 84:11 – For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Comment: If we had no other Bible verses about God’s goodness, this one would be enough. Its scope is vast!

Psalm 86:5 – For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You.

Psalm 100:5 – For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

Comment: Love that endures forever is unconditional. That is very good.

Psalm 103:2-5 – Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:8 – The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Psalm 103:13-14 – As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

Comment: He remembers that He made me of dirt. What a comfort that is in my weaknesses!

Psalm 106:1 – Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 107:1 – Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 107:8-9 – Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 119:68 – You are good, and what You do is good; teach me your decrees.

Psalm 135:3 – Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to His name, for it is pleasant!

Comment: Goodness is praiseworthy!

Psalm 136:1 – Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 145:9 – The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.

Psalm 145:15-16 – The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

God’s Goodness: Declared By The Prophets

Isaiah 1:18 – ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ declares the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’

Isaiah 30:18 – Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!

Isaiah 40:29-31 – He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Lamentations 3:22-26 – Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:11 – ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

Nahum 1:7 – The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him…

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

New Testament Verses About God’s Goodness 

The Old Testament declares God’s goodness. But the New Testament begins by showing us God’s goodness. Let me give you two passages that specifically make this point:

• John 14:8-14
• Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus was God in human flesh. Notice what He said to Philip in John 14:9 (my emphasis added) – 

Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; 

So, the Gospels literally show us God walking among men: being good and doing good. Then in Acts we see His disciples following His example. 

Matthew 6:26-30 – Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Matthew 7:11 – If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!

Mark 10:18 – And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.’

Luke 6:35 – But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Luke 11:13 – If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Comment: Providing a way of escape is always a good thing!

John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:11-15 – I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away…because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and My sheep know Me — just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep.

The Book Of Acts

Acts 10:38 – How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Acts 14:17 – Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Bible Verses About God’s Goodness – The Epistles

Romans 2:4 – Or do you show contempt for the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Comment: Love is a verb! And love always demonstrates itself.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Comment: How good is it that we are never separated from Divine love?

Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

I Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

II Corinthians 5:17-19 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

II Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Ephesians 1:3 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Comment: Notice the tense of God’s blessings! He has blessed us… It’s already done!

Ephesians 2:4-7 – But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8 – For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Comment: Our best life on Earth is to love God and engage the good works He has prepared for us.

Ephesians 3:20-21 – Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Philippians 1:6 – And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:19 – But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

II Thessalonians 1:11 – With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.

I Timothy 2:3-4 – This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

I Timothy 4:4 – For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

Titus 3:4-7 – But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

II Peter 1:3 – His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

Wrapping Up

We still have two Bible verses about God’s goodness. And they a  provide a kind of summary of all the Bible verses about God’s goodness. God forgives when we confess our sinful ways – and we are all in need of that (see Romans 3:23). And as we have seen, God’s goodness is meant to draw us to Him. Because, as we see in the final verse, God’s desire is for everyone to come to repentance. Indeed, He is good in all His ways, more than we can possibly know or understand.

I John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

II Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Soli Deo Gloria!