I’m on the theme of recounting God’s goodness (see my book IN EVERY MOMENT: RECOUNTING GOD’S GOODNESS IN OVERSEAS LIFE) so I’m curating a list of “good” scripture verses. 

Good (tov in Hebrew) means beautiful, desirable, agreeable, functional, life-giving, and morally good.¹ Jesus declared that only God is good (Luke 18:19). And then he called himself the good shepherd (John 10:11).

Counselor and author, Madz Denzel, says that the root lie of the enemy is that “God can’t be trusted. He’s not good.”² If he can get us to doubt the goodness of God (as he did with the first humans on earth³), then everything falls apart. And it would be foolish to give our trust and surrender to a higher power that is not good.

However, “God is good and does what is good” (Ps 119:68).

I know this can feel like a pat answer and too simplistic for life’s nuances. I know it’s complicated and messy, and it deserves deeper study than this. My purpose here is to reiterate the truth—God is good and his love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chron 16:34)

The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud. (2 Chron 5:13)

When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.” (2 Chron 7:3)

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps 106:1)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps 107:1)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps 118:1)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps 118:29)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. (Ps 136:1)

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. (Ezra 3:11)

GOD IS GOOD

And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to 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. (Ex 33:19)

You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. (Neh 9:20)

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Ps 23:6)

The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. (Ps 25:8 NLT)

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (Ps 27:13)

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Ps 34:8)

Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. (Ps 69:16)

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. (Ps 73:1)

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. (Ps 86:5)

You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. (Ps 119:68)

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. (Ps 135:3)

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Ps 143:10)

The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (Ps 145:9)

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. (Lam 3:25)

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. (Nah 1:7)

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. (Luke 18:19)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (Rom 2:4 NKJV)

GOD DOES AND GIVES GOOD

God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (Gen 1:4)

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

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills. (Deut 8:7)

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. (Deut 8:10)

“Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. (1 Kings 8:56)

How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. (Ps 31:19)

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. (Ps 84:11)

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. (Jer 29:10)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer 29:11)

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 the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. (Acts 10:38)

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6)

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. (Rom 8:28)

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. (1 Tim 4:4)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (Jam 1:17)

PRAYER

Lord God, I affirm and declare that you are good. Even when it doesn’t look like it or feel like it, the truth remains that you totally good. I know it seems to those looking on that I am foolish to so totally trust in a God that doesn’t immediately remove evil, but I believe you are all good and you have my best always before you.

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1. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2896.htm; https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-tov-good/ ↩︎
2. From a webinar at Hope Made Strong’s Church Mental Health Summit, 2024 ↩︎
3. In Genesis 3:1, the serpent said to the woman, “Did God really say” you can’t have these things?— implying that if God withholds them, then he must not be good. ↩︎
4. See my article Fearing God: Turning Toward His Goodness and Love ↩︎