God’s kindness is among the most challenging concepts for skeptics and sometimes even believers. This complexity often manifests in the age-old question, “How can a good God allow bad things to happen?” Given that God is sovereign and all events are under His control, can we then conclude God is not good considering the world’s cruelty? While many people will answer yes and blame God for the evil in the world, the Bible resoundingly denies it. Scripture remains steadfast in portraying God’s kindness and goodness, even in a fallen world.
Nate Picowicz’s book, The Kindness of God: Beholding His Goodness in a Cruel World, tackles this complex issue and invites us to explore and gaze upon Yahweh’s lovingkindness despite life’s harshness.
The book’s central premise is simple yet profound: “God is good; we are sinful. Because of this, we are undeserving of His goodness. But because of God’s mercy, He demonstrates lovingkindness to us. Therefore, every kindness we experience is pure grace and ought to be received with gladness and thankfulness.”
Pickowicz delves deeper into this grand premise through eight chapters, each examining a different way God shows His kindness. The topics covered are salvation, repentance, faith, sanctification, relationships, blessing, suffering, believers, and the nations.
Pickowicz also differentiates between God’s goodness and kindness. God’s goodness is His intrinsic character, while His kindness is an outward expression of His goodness. He writes, “God’s goodness is the ultimate standard of all that is morally pure, inherently right, and worthy of approval…God’s kindness is the demonstration of His goodness toward His people.”
The Kindness of God is not only a profound theological work but also an accessible and engaging read. It remains faithful to the Scriptures while presenting heartwarming truths and illustrations of God’s kindness in a way that is easy to understand and relate to. I greatly enjoyed reading it and exploring the riches and wonders of God’s lovingkindness.
I particularly benefitted from the chapter on God’s kindness in suffering. Pickowicz provides twelve ways God shows His kindness through our trials, afflictions, and suffering. His compassionate insights in this chapter (and the entire book) should comfort you if you are in a season of sorrow. This chapter illustrates God’s unwavering kindness, even amid great sorrows, and is a balm for the soul.
In conclusion, The Kindness of God is a beautiful book and a timely and invaluable resource for those seeking to reconcile God’s goodness with a world marred with pain and brokenness. Whether in a personal struggle or looking to deepen your worship for Yahweh, this book offers profound insights and encouragement to your heart.
I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone yearning to behold the boundless kindness of Yahweh. As the saying goes, God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good.
I am grateful to Moody Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book for an honest review.
