The Lord is good to all

“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”

Psalm 145:9 [KJV]]

“What’s your favourite Bible verse?” Some people have an immediate answer to this question, but some of us counter the question with another: “Am I allowed to have multiple favourite verses?”

There are so many verses in the Bible - 31,102 to be exact – it is hard to choose just one. The whole of the Bible is “written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4b). Additionally, the Bible is God’s living Word (Hebrews 4:12). At times, God draws our attention to specific verses that address needs in our lives. Some verses give guidance, others are promises, and others are simple reminders to keep our focus on God.

One such verse that probably falls into the last category is Psalm 145:9. It says, “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” I’ve never tried to memorise the verse, I sometimes forget the reference, and I probably wouldn’t list it as a favourite. Yet in tough times, Psalm 145:9 has been a reassuring reminder that God is in control. In the heat of anger and hurt, it has been a calming voice. In discouragement or disappointment, it has reminded me how much God loves us. In times of doubt, it has strengthened my faith. And in seasons of rejoicing, the words have become a shout of triumph.

Let’s take a few minutes to meditate on this verse.

“The LORD is good to all”

The Lord is good to all because He creates and sustains life. The first words of the Bible tell us that “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The same chapter lists many of God’s creative acts, including how He formed man and woman (v27). Isaiah reminds us that God continues to nurture human life, saying, the Lord is “he that giveth breath unto the people upon [the earth], and spirit to them that walk therein” (Isaiah 42:5b). He gives us “seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night” (Genesis 8:22b). God’s goodness is not restricted to just His people but extends to all nations. As Paul and Barnabas reminded the Athenians, the Lord is the “living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein …He left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:15b,17).

The Lord is good to all because He offers salvation to all. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Hell was created for “the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41) and God is “not willing that any [people] should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9b). He “commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:30b-31a). “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”, but a hard and impenitent (unrepentant) heart “treasurest up unto thyself wrath against …the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:4b-5). What a joy to know that salvation is promised to all who repent and believe (Mark 1:15), and that heaven will be filled with “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9b)!

The Lord is good to all because He is always good. Many things in life are not good. We encounter troubles, evil, loss, emotional upheavals, financial difficulties, conflict, temptations, health issues and suffering. And yet “the goodness of God endureth continually” (Psalm 52:1b). No matter what we face, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). God, who cannot lie (Numbers 23:19), has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5b). When we turn our eyes from the difficulties of our circumstances to God’s love and sovereignty, we must join King David in praise and worship, saying of the Lord, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee” (Psalms 31:19a).

“His tender mercies are over all his works”

God’s mercy is one demonstration of His goodness. It is no wonder that the themes of God’s goodness and His mercy are often inseparable in the Bible. The exact verse, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” appears five times in the Bible: four times in the Psalms (106:1b, 107:1, 118:29, 136:1) and once in 1 Chronicles 16:34. Now that would be a good verse to learn – an efficient way of memorising five verses at once!

There is no greater testament to God’s mercy than the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Paul summarises this truth in Ephesians 2 by saying, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (verses 4-7). God’s sacrifice of His only son to take the death penalty for our sin demonstrated tremendous mercy, yet He went well beyond that. These verses tell us that God loves us, has given us places of honour with Christ, and blesses us with the exceeding riches of His grace. How can we possibly articulate all God has done for us? How can mere human minds comprehend the depth of the Lord’s goodness, grace and mercy?

It's easy for our minds to drift when reading the Bible. Yet no verse is placed in God’s Word by accident. Even a simple verse can contain treasures of encouragement and Biblical doctrine. May we each take the time to meditate on Scripture, letting the Lord work in our hearts as we read His Word. And may we each know that “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”