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Is God Good to All?

Some argue that the Bible is contradictory concerning whether God is good to all. The argument is that Psalm 145:9 says that God is good to all, but this seems to be contradicted by passages like Isaiah 45:6-7, Jeremiah 18:11, Lamentations 3:38, and Ezekiel 20:26. However, the solution to this alleged contradiction in the Bible is extremely simple.

Scriptures – Is God Good to All?

God Is Good to All – Psalm 145:9

The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
Psalm 145:9

God Is Not Good to All

6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. 7 I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.
Isaiah 45:6-7

Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’
Jeremiah 18:11

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?
Lamentations 3:38

and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 20:26

The Answer – Is God Good to All?

God Is Good to All in a Particular Sense

The simple answer to this alleged contradiction is that God is good to all in a particular sense, and at the same time, God is still sovereign over everything that happens, both good and bad.
God is good to all in the sense that he has common grace towards all humans, which means that he has mercy upon all humans in allowing them to live and experience blessings in their lives.

This does not at all contradict the biblical teaching that God is completely sovereign over all creation, both good and bad. Psalm 145:9 teaches that God is “good to all” in a particular sense, but not that God is good to all in every single sense.

Foundational Principles Regarding Bible Difficulties

There are some foundational principles that apply to all alleged and apparent contradictions in the Bible. To read more, see Bible Difficulties: Foundational Principles.