Good. What a simple word, easy to say, easy to spell. Probably one of the most-used words in conversations. So many everyday expressions: Good luck, good grief, goodbye, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good riddance, good job, good boy, good work, good girl… oh my goodness sake!
I am sure I use this word even more than I realize. And in this time of the pandemic, the quarantine, getting back to “simple” life, appreciating the basic essentials of daily living, I have been drawn to write about the common, everyday words perhaps I have overlooked before. Or maybe I just need to keep it simple to stay in the flow of the state of world.
Regardless, I found myself meditating on the word “GOOD”, and needed to write it out to help me make sense of it…
As I read through the myriad of definitions for the word good, I realized why it is so often used in daily conversation, social media, song titles, and writing.
Here is just a partial list of the definitions for the adjective “Good”:
- Of a favorable character or tendency
- Bountiful, suitable
- That can be relied on
- Profitable, advantageous, clever
- True, well-founded, legally valid
- Virtuous, right, commendable
- Kind, benevolent, loyal
- Pleasant, enjoyable
- Characterized by honesty and fairness
And one of my favorites is the informal use of the word in a dialogue that goes like this:
Question: “Do you want or need {fill in the blank}?”
Reply: “Nah, I’m good.”
In this sense, the word means “having everything desired or required; content.”
What strikes me most as I look through all the definitions and uses of this word? They all describe the nature of God. He is certainly bountiful, true, benevolent, and can be relied on. And for me personally, I can honestly say, “I’m good” – I have everything required because of my relationship with Christ.
One of my favorite tunes I find myself humming under my breath every time I meditate on the word “good” is the song “Good Good Father” by Chris Tomlin. Listen HERE.
Simple, wholesome, and true lyrics:
I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only you provide
‘Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
Good isn’t just used a lot in daily conversation, it also appears over 600 times in the NIV translation of the Bible and over 750 times in the King James version! The scriptures I know by heart, perhaps not exactly verbatim nor by exact book reference, but nonetheless, quote often, would be these:
Taste and see that the Lord is good! Psalm 34:8
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:4
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 8:28
God is good. All the time. Good is just God with an extra “o”! God gives good gifts to His children. I can trust in, rely on, His Goodness. All He does, He works for the good of those who love Him. The fact that there is evil in the world, that people do bad things, that I’ve done bad things – none of this changes the truth that God is Good!
God is Good yesterday, today and tomorrow. His Goodness is a promise declared when He created the world, reaffirmed when He sent His son to die on the cross. Jesus affirms this with his words from the Gospels.
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good.” Matthew 19:17
I can’t think of a simpler way to express God’s goodness than the “Johnny Appleseed” blessing I learned at camp:
Oh, the Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun, and the rain, and the apple seed.
The Lord is good to me.
Back to the Bible again. As I searched for the word “good”, I found it uses SIX times in just these three verses alone.
Be good to your servant, God;
be as good as your Word.
Train me in good common sense;
I’m thoroughly committed to living your way.
Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place,
but now I’m in step with your Word.
You are good, and the source of good;
train me in your goodness.
Psalm 119:65-68
This Psalm helps me understand the bigger picture: God is Good, yes. And God is the Source of Goodness. When I focus on Him, surrender to His will, allow His Spirit to thrive in me, I can truly say “I’m good”.
How about you? You good?