Evidence Of Jehovah's Abundant Goodness

Everyone who has ever lived has benefited from Jehovah's goodness. Psalm 145:9 says: "Jehovah is good to all." What are some examples of his all-embracing goodness? The Bible says: "He did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer." (Acts 14:17) Have you ever felt your spirits lift when enjoying a delightful mean? Were it not for Jehovah's goodness in designing this earth with its ever-recycling fresh water supply and "fruitful seasons" to produce an abundance of food, there would be no meals, Jehovah has directed such goodness not just to those who love him but to everyone. Jesus said: "He makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous." -Matthew 5:45.

Many take for granted the sheer generosity that is heaped upon mankind because of the continued action of the sun, the rain and the fruitful seasons. For example, consider the apple. Throughout the temperate regions of the earth, it is a common fruit. Yet, it is beautiful, delicious to eat and full of refreshing water and vital nutrients. Did you know that worldwide there are some 7,50 different varieties of apples, ranging in color from red to gold to yellow to green and in size from slightly larger than a cherry to the size of a grapefruit? If you hold a tine apple seed in your hand, it looks insignificant. But from it grows one of the loveliest trees. (Song of Solomon 2:3) Every spring the apple tree is crowned with a glorious halo of blossoms; every autumn it produces fruit. Each year-for up to 75 years-the average tree will yield enough fruit to fill 20 cartons to a weight of 42 pounds each!

In his infinite goodness, Jehovah has given us a body that is "wonderfully made," with senses designed to help us perceiver his works and delight in them. (Psalm 139:14) Think again of those scenes described at the outset of this chapter. What sights bring joy to such moments? The flushed cheeks of a delighted child. The curtains of rain descending on the fields. The reds, golds and violets of a sunset. The human eye is designed to detect over 300,000 different colors! And our sense of hearing catches the nuances of tone in a well-loved voice, the whisper of the wind through the trees, the toddler's ecstatic laugh. Why are we able to enjoy such sights and sounds? The Bible says: "The hearing ear and the seeing eye-Jehovah himself has made even for both of them." (Proverbs 20:12) But those are only two of the senses.

The sense of smell is another evidence of Jehovah's goodness. The human nose can distinguish some 10,000 different odors. Think of just a few: your favorite food, cooking, flowers, fallen leaves, the hint of smoke from a cozy fire. And your sense of touch enables you to feel the caress of the breeze on your face, the reassuring brace of a loved one, the satisfying smoothness of a piece of fruit in your hand. When you take a bite, your sense of taste comes in to play. A symphony of flavor greets you as your taste buds detect subtleties created by the fruit's complex makeup. Yes, we have every reason to exclaim regarding Jehovah: " How abundant your goodness is, which you have treasured up for those fearing you!" (Psalm 31:19) How, though, has Jehovah "treasured up" goodness for those who have Godly fear?

Next time: Goodness With Everlasting Benefits

Draw Close To Jehovah, 2002