Against this verse, critics might cite any number of verse where God is "not good" or merciful to people -- laying judgment on them, for example. The simplest answer to such shenanigans is to note that Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise to God. This by itself is enough to resolve the problem, because hymns, poems, and proverbs are not to be taken as absolutes. But let's go further anyway. Verses 8-10 and 20 are all we need to establish the context:

But:

God is good to all, but when one of those "all" turn wicked, they open themselves up for God's anger, as is the case in many places in the Bible. Here's one example we've seen cited:

The critic will say God wasn't being merciful or good here, but the people of Judah are prior to this verse declared wicked (Jer. 13:10) and subject to God's judgment and wrath. This fits in with the context of the Psalm.

To use an earthly illustration, even when our parents punish us, we don't stop saying that they are good to us. Castigation and discipline are an element of good parenting. On the higher level of the relationship between God and man, Psalms indicates the God is "slow to anger" - we get plenty of chances to repent and retain God's good graces. But to use that example from Jeremiah, those whom Jeremiah addresses, the corporate nation of Judah, had been involved in wickedness for quite some time with no sign of repentance. Their wickedness was to the point where judgment was required.

By reading Psalms 145:9 isolated from its context, and genre as an ancient hymn, skeptics read into it a God who would have to be some kind of goody-goody cosmological Caspar Milquetoast and NEVER react against evil! The wooden thinking required to make this assumption could build a fleet of boats.