Good and Plenty, by Eve Gualtieri

Good and Plenty

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8

Children love candy. I grew up in a large family and that meant that we had to share everything...including the candy. My mother would sometimes buy a candy bar when she went grocery shopping. When she got home the candy bar was sliced into 6 pieces. One for each of us. The ritual began with the unwrapping of the candy bar. We all gathered around, practically drooling over the coming treat. Then my older sister took the knife, and we all watched carefully, making sure that no slice was bigger of smaller than the others.

As a teenager I remember having a little leftover lunch money at school and being able to buy myself whatever candy I wanted. Often, I bought a box of Good and Plenty licorice candy. My absolute favorite.

Recently, I started thinking about that name - Good and Plenty. I started thinking that God is the real Good and Plenty. And much better than candy. Even licorice candy.

Psalm 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” God is good! It’s not just something we say in church. He really is good. And His mercy, His kindness, His goodness and His favor are everlasting, forever and forever. And His truth lasts from father to son, mother to daughter, generation after generation. He is incapable of telling a lie, of deceiving anyone, of being less than totally honest. He is good. 

Psalm 110:68 says, “You are good, and do good.” Not only is He good, but everything He does is good. “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.” James 1:16 God is complete goodness. There is not even a shadow in Him. He is always the same: GOOD!

And He is “good to ALL” (Psalm 145:9). He is good to me and He is good to you. He is good to all. Tall and short, big and small, whatever description you can use. God’s character is goodness and it is extended and available to all.

Because God is good He promises to lead and guide us, to show us the right way to go. Psalm 25:8-10 says, “Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way... All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.” He has put His Spirit in us Who tells us right from wrong. He whispers all the answers to us. Although we can willfully choose to disobey and follow our own path, if we listen to God we will follow a path filled with mercy and truth and God promises that “then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble” (Proverbs 3:23). Psalm 23:6,7 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” Blessing after blessing is being heaped on me every day. 

I will praise God continuously because He has delivered me out of all the trouble in my life (Psalm 27:23.24). His name is good. And because He is good He is ready to forgive. Without forgiveness we cannot participate in the goodness of God. But He forgives my sins and yours if we call out to Him. Psalm 86:5 says He is “plenteous in mercy” to all who call upon Him. Good and Plenty!

“They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” (Psalm 34:10). The reward of trusting God and abiding in His Word is joining in the benefits provided by His goodness. Psalm 37:3 says we will “dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” When we delight in the Lord He will give us the desires of our hearts (vs.4). There is no end to the benefits and blessings of God. He is a God of Plenty. Psalm 84:11 says “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk up rightly.” It all belongs to us when we belong to Him.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul:...Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” This is the reward of the faithful.

The promises of the Lord are good...and they are plentiful. The gifts of the Lord are exceptional...and they are inexhaustible. The Word of God is true and secure...His faithfulness is eternal.

“For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:

thou hast established the earth, and it abideth” (Psalm 119:89,90).

We put our hope in the truth of God’s Promises in His Word. Our hearts are steadied by His goodness. He is good to us. He is good to us. We lift our eyes up to the hills where our hope comes from. Not a blind hope built on shifting sand, but the strong and sure foundation of His Word which we have hidden in our hearts. He is good to us. He is good to us. He is good to me. He is good to you.