goodness and light

God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from darkness. Genesis 1:4 (NIV)

Throughout the description of the creation of everything (Genesis 1), the seemingly simple word 'good' is used to define God's thoughts toward His creation. There are two main connecting passages that I find beneficial to look at when trying to understand the term good: Psalm 104:31 and Psalm 119:68. These passages refer to God rejoicing in His works and the fact that God himself is good, respectively

When I first looked into this verse to find what it might tell me about God, I wrote:
'God has the power and the discretion and the authority to determine what is good.'
I still believe this sentence to be completely accurate. I would, however, like to go one step further. God is able to define what is good because He himself is the essence or embodiment of good. Because of this, I believe we can rightfully state that one of God's names (or primary attributes) is Goodness (or, more simply, Good).

What other names does God have? How do we know these to be true? Please share in the comments.

So, how do we define good? (other than stating that goodness is defined simply by God because he is the essence of good. That is called circular logic, and it is rarely a beneficial practice) Psalm 104:31 helps us a little in stating that which is good is something that causes God to rejoice. Looking at the Hebrew, it can be translated close to the word pleasant, as well. I believe an appropriate definition of good, then, is "any act, thought, or thing which is pleasing to God."

How can knowing that God is good be an influence in our lives? What truths can we state in knowing God's goodness?

First, we can state that, as God is good, He cannot be evil. Nothing that God desires or makes to happen can ever be with evil intentions, as that would be directly contrary to His nature.
We know that everything that happens will result ultimately in good, through God's plan. Even though you may often feel as if the world is falling apart around you, you can trust and rest in the knowledge of God's goodness, and that everything is ultimately leading toward His Plan.

How do you think the knowledge of God's goodness can impact your life? Please share in the comments!