Robert Houk Hitchcock

Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the GOODNESS OF GOD leadeth thee to repentance?

This is God's motivation to salvation: GOODNESS..  It seems that the lesson that God is ONLY GOOD, ALWAYS is one that many have never learned, or continue to flounder in learning.   Many people attribute to God actions that He has never taken, nor ever will
take. On the other hand, many people give themselves, governments, institutions of higher learning, technology and even entertainers the credit for their  own success.  

I John 1:5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

God is light, and in Him is NO DARKNESS AT ALL. That truth could be stated in a simple form: God is light.(period)   But it adds: and in Him is NO DARKNESS.  It could stop there. But it adds: AT ALL.  

 Would you say to someone: my shirt is white, and in it is NO COLOR-AT ALL? The emphasis added in I John certainly would have to indicate that God is light!!!

Let's go to Genesis, chapter one, and see the foundation of this topic- the goodness of God.

Genesis 1:3-4
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was GOOD: and God divided the light from the darkness.  

The first act attributed to God by Himself after the overthrow is that He
called light into being and that it was GOOD. Note also that the light was DIVIDED from the darkness (they are opposites.)  Remember I John?  No darkness at all.  Light is GOOD. God has no darkness at
all!! He is only good, always.

Let's enjoy a few more passages in Genesis 1. Note the "GOOD" stuff!!
 
Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was GOOD.   

Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind,
and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was GOOD. 

Genesis 1:16-18
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the
lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was GOOD.  

Genesis 1:21
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was GOOD.   

Genesis 1:25
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was GOOD.   

The earth, the dry land, the grass, the herb, the tree, the sun, the moon,
the stars, the beast of the earth, the cattle and every thing that creapeth upon the earth God says were GOOD.  That's quite a record that everything so far that God has done is said to be GOOD!  He's batting 1.000!  Look in Genesis 1:31 for the grand finale.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was VERY GOOD. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.   

Well, there you have it.  The conclusion to the whole matter: EVERYTHING that God had done was VERY GOOD. That would include man and woman being made, formed and created.  
By the way, the original couple were Adam (man) and Woman (woman).  She was called Eve AFTER the Fall of man. (That little tidbit didn't cost any extra.)

With this foundation revealed in Genesis, how could anyone think anything otherwise than that God's Will is GOODNESS for His people? You see the goodness of God written all across the pages of His Word.

Exodus 18:9
And Jethro rejoiced for all the GOODNESS which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

This Jethro is not the nephew of Jed and Granny.  He was Moses father-in-law, a real sharp guy.

The summary of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt-the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of fire and the cloud, the manna, the deliverance-is the GOODNESS which the Lord had done.  What a great God!

Deuteronomy 6:24
And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our GOOD always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.

God gave to Moses the law.  Why did God give Israel the law? For their GOOD. 

This next one you hear people say just about every day....

2 Chronicles 30:18
For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and
Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The GOOD LORD pardon every one

Well, the Lord is GOOD, and we should honor Him as being such.
 
 In the Word, you see Goodness in association with other of God's attributes:

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 for ever.

Goodness and mercy.

Psalm 69:16-17
Hear me, O LORD; for thy LOVINGKINDNESS IS GOOD:
turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.  And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me
speedily.

Do you have some trouble? God's lovingkindness is GOOD....His tender mercies are GOOD.

Psalm 100:5
For the LORD is GOOD; his MERCY is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

His mercy is everlasting!  And so is His goodness.

Psalm 107:9
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with GOODNESS.

God satisfies with GOOD things.

Matthew 7:11
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,
how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give GOOD THINGS to them that ask him?

Certainly, if one was paying attention at all, we would have to conclude that God is GOOD, and that His GOODNESS is manifest in all of His actions to man!

Luke 2:10
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you GOOD TIDINGS of great joy, which shall be to all people.  
 
The announcement of the arrival of the Messiah was GOOD tidings!
 I'll say!!

Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, GOOD WILL toward men.

The arrival of the promised seed again demonstrated God's GOOD Will.

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about DOING GOOD, and HEALING all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

The summary of the ministry of Jesus Christ was that he went about
doing....GOOD.  What a surprise! 

Acts 14:15-17
And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:  Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.  Nevertheless 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.

God's  witness of Himself to all of mankind.  Interesting, isn't it?!  God did GOOD- the earth brought forth its fruit for everyone! Filled our hearts with food and gladness!  That's a great big wonderful God.

Look at 
Matthew 5:45
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:
for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, 
and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God's goodness is manifest in how the earth is taken care of, how it brings forth food for man, how the sun warms the earth and provides for all of man.

Remember John 3:16?  "God so loved the world, that he gave..."

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for GOOD to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God's Will for the born-again one is Goodness all the days of his life. That ALL THINGS work together for GOOD!!

Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his GOOD
pleasure.

God is at work within you.......to will and to do....his GOOD pleasure.
Certainly, all of God's Will is Good! 

From the opening chapters of Genesis to the concluding judgments of
Revelation, God's Will and actions to man are Good. God is light, and in Him is no darkness, at all. God is good, and in Him is only goodness, always!

1 Thessalonians 5:21
Prove all things; hold fast that which is GOOD.