We are frequently tempted to wonder if God is withholding, stingy, or lacking in generosity, especially when we don’t get what we want. If “no good thing will he withhold” is true, then why isn’t every prayer answered the way we’d hoped? Does God withhold good from us?
The question is one of humanity’s oldest questions. It’s at the heart of the temptation in the Garden of Eden when the serpent approaches Eve.
The serpent (the devil) asked Eve if God had really said that she and Adam could not eat from any of the trees in the garden. Eve responded by telling him God had restricted them from only one tree, the tree of good and evil because if they ate of it, they would die.
The serpent replied, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4 ESV). By saying this, he called into question God’s goodness. He accused God of withholding from Adam and Eve something that would be good.
Eve began to wonder if God was withholding something from her. Rather than trusting God’s character and command, Eve leaned on her own understanding.
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6 ESV)
Death entered the world when Eve and Adam ate of the tree. Death of relationship with God. Death of perfect relationship with one another. Death of the animals God sacrificed for the skins He used to clothe Adam and Eve. And physical death became a fact of life. The devil lied, and his lie opened the door for Eve to doubt God’s goodness, to wonder if perhaps He was withholding something that would be enjoyable, pleasurable, or good for them.
Obedience is always an act of faith. We trust that God only commands what is right and good. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (NIV).
We must not only believe that God exists. We We must also believe he is good and rewards people seeking him. In other words, we must trust that “no good thing will He withhold.”
Does the Bible Really Say 'No Good Thing Will He Withhold'?
The phrase, “no good thing will He withhold,” comes from Psalm 84:11:
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (ESV)
Charles Spurgeon called this “the Pearl of Psalms.”
Imagine when a hero is honored for saving a city from a terrible enemy. The mayor might bestow favor and honor on the hero and award him the “key to the city.” In other words, he lets the hero know that no good thing the city has to offer will be withheld from him. The mayor has the authority to do this because of his position. God has authority over all the earth. The psalmist says He “bestows favor and honor” and withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly or according to His ways.
This concept is echoed in the New Testament passage Romans 8:32:
“He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?” (AMPC)
That makes sense, doesn’t it? If God was willing to give His only Son for us, why would He be stingy and withhold anything else we need? Everything is within His power to award, so He is the one to whom we appeal when we have a need.
Psalm 84 is attributed to the “sons of Korah.” Matthew Henry suggests in his commentary that King David may have written it for the sons of Korah to deliver in song.
Candice Lucey writes, “the original ‘Korah’ was responsible for a conflict in Israel, and his name is a kind of warning to the generations to come, a reminder of what their predecessor did when he spoke against Moses. He created division. Yet Korah’s sons did not face the same fate as their father. His sons were named in Exodus 6:24 as Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph.”
God holds individuals responsible for their sins. These descendants of a rebel chose to honor God; one way they did that was by serving the Israelites in worship.
Psalm 84 celebrates God’s dwelling place and the joy of making our “home” with God. One day, God will make His dwelling place with us forever (Revelation 21:3), but for now, we make our “home” with God by living in our righteousness in Christ. Psalm 84:10 says, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (ESV).
What Good Things Is the 'No Good Thing Will He Withhold' Passage Talking About?
Psalm 84:11 emphasizes that all good things are to be found in making our home with God. God is good, so it makes sense that to separate ourselves from Him is to separate ourselves from all goodness.
We must be careful to learn what is good from God alone and not to judge by the world’s definition of goodness. Isaiah warned the Israelites:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21 ESV).
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Eve took it upon herself to determine what was good. She relied on her wisdom and cast off God’s warning. From what Eve could see, the fruit was good. Rather than trusting God that it contained death, she trusted her understanding. We often think an item, a relationship, a situation, or a blessing would be good for us and fall into frustration with God when He doesn’t give it to us. In our thinking, it looks like He’s withholding something good. What we desire may not be what is best. The timing may not be optimal. We may not be prepared in our hearts and minds to make the most of that good thing.
The other reality with which we wrestle is that we still live and operate in a sinful world and suffer the consequences of that sin. Even Christians are impacted by war, disease, poverty, and all manner of human suffering brought about by individual sin, corporate sin, or sinful systems. We must always pray and not give up hope, knowing that God is good but that we are not yet living in the eternity of Revelation 21:4:
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (ESV)
Does 'No Good Thing Will He Withhold' Support the Prosperity Gospel?
It’s easy in our sinfulness to misunderstand or misappropriate Psalm 84:11 to mean that God will give us everything we want, including perfect health, wealth, and success in life. That’s not what it says at all. When it promises God will not withhold from us any good thing, that requires our understanding that God knows what is good for us and when.
A child may not think a visit to the dentist or daily chores are good things, yet a parent knows they are necessary and will produce good in that child’s life later on. Like children, we are often short-sighted about what would benefit us. We imagine perfect lives are the only good things, but God knows that trials, challenges, and discipline work in us a goodness that having everything we want will not.
This verse is similar to Romans 8:28:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (ESV)
The verse doesn’t say that everything that happens to us is good. It says that God will work all things together FOR good for those who love Him.
Each of these verses can be misapplied (and often are) by those who promote the prosperity gospel. And yet, we see throughout the Bible that people who love and follow God experience the same troubles as people who don’t follow him. Jesus promised His disciples that they would have trouble in this world but that He had overcome the world (John 16:33). The apostles’ lives were full of suffering and hardship, yet they had great power through the Holy Spirit.
Of course, living in obedience to God’s wisdom and His Word and following Christ will reduce some of the foolishness and pain those who don’t follow Jesus suffer. But we still live in a fallen world and are subject to disease, disaster, and other calamities until Jesus returns.
Practical Lessons from 'No Good Thing Will He Withhold'
How do we live in this tension of knowing that “no good thing will He withhold” and yet feeling as if we don’t have every good thing?
- Always get to know God better and deepen your understanding of His character. Read passages about His goodness, wisdom, and attention to even the tiny sparrow. The more we know Him, the easier it will be to trust Him when the way is hard.
- Pray without ceasing. God commands us throughout Scripture to make our requests known to Him. He encourages persistence in prayer. Don’t worry about boring Him, but also take His command to express gratitude in all things to heart. As we focus on thankfulness and leave our requests with Him, we will expand our vision of what He has given us and be able to trust Him for those things we have not yet received.
- Keep a prayer journal and review it on occasion. It’s helpful to see requests we’ve made in the past that now we’re glad didn’t just appear at our demand. It’s helpful to see the times God has said “no” and the wisdom behind it. This can increase our faith for future prayers.
- Read the stories of men and women of the Bible and Christians throughout history. You won’t see the perfect lives of people who had everything the world says is good. Instead, you’ll see the goodness of God displayed in a wide range of situations full of both hardship and blessing.
- Finally, remember that we are destined for eternal life. As one of my friends often says, “God likes to save some for later.” Blessings beyond our imagination await us. On that day, we will truly know that “no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Jesus walked uprightly, and all good things will be ours in Him.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Tinnakorn Jorruang
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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