Goodness of God

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” — Psalm 23:6

King David wrote these words and many theologians believe that he wrote them towards the end of his life. If you know anything about David’s testimony, you know that his days were a culmination of both trial and triumph. From even his youngest moments as a shepherd boy, he was met with skepticism. His own father overlooked his worth and value, yet God deemed him purposed to serve as the King of Israel. As he humbly waited for his time on the throne, his very life was threatened by his predecessor. He was targeted out of man’s unbridled envy, and much of his youth was spent on the run. Later in his story, he made some unwise and ungodly choices that came with great consequences of pain and loss. But no matter the season, and no matter the source of trial, David was confident in his good companion and friend…the Lord. 

The Goodness of God

I have been spending lots of time in the study of the goodness of God. My posture has been one of realizing that God is always good, even when circumstances in our natural experience do not feel good. God’s very nature is good. The sentiment of truth lies within all of His names:

• Yahweh: He is eternal and sufficient, the very bedrock of His goodness.

  
  

• Jehovah-Jireh: He is our provider, caring for our every need. As a good Father,  He takes care of us. 

  
  

• Jehovah-Rohi: He is our shepherd, walking every step of the journey whether still waters or valleys of the shadow of death. There is no good like a constant companion.

The truth is that God is so very good. He is perfectly good in His nature, perfectly good in His ways, perfectly good in His love for us. This is foundational truth in our faith in Him, and for that reason, even when life is void of natural goodness, we can rest our broken hearts on the foundation of Him being good. 

Grief and Grace

My stepdad unexpectedly and tragically passed away last month. It was not something that our family saw coming, and the void that it has left has been profound. His formal name was Harry, but everyone knew him as Skipper. He became my stepdad when I was in 2nd grade, and saw me through every season of life from childhood to young adulthood to becoming a wife and mother. He was one of the best…fun-loving, yet wise…spiritual, yet not at all religious…a father figure to many, yet a child at heart. His life was marked by the fruit of the spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Like Jesus, he not only took notice of the least of these, but offered them compassion and care. Again, he was the best. 

Whispers of Goodness

Amid the grief and heartache, God has continued to meet me with whispers of His goodness. I found myself hungering for these interactions as proof that even in grief, He is taking each step with us. I have seen His goodness in my stepdad’s life and influence in my life and the lives of my family members. I have seen His goodness in the community that has surrounded us with prayer and support in our time of need. We have seen His goodness in the grace He bestowed on our Mom as we delivered the news of Skip’s passing. She has been battling dementia for the last few years and in His grace, He allowed her to feel grief for but a flashing moment, and then we watched as His tangible grace moved in like a cool breeze, removing pain and ushering in her current state of memory, or lack thereof. We were all sobbing, but her response was, “He was a great man. I’m sorry to hear that.” 

A Good Father, Forever

I am learning that God is good despite the state of our emotions or our natural circumstances. If we are willing to open our hearts to see it, His goodness is evident even amidst great pain. He cannot stop being good despite the fallen world we are surrounded by. And the greatest good of all is that Jesus’ death has promised that even when we have to say goodbye to our loved ones, here on Earth, it’s just a ‘see you later’. John 3:16 confirms, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” His greatest act of goodness was in the gift of His son, awarding His children the promise of eternal life. Now that’s a good, good Father. 

We certainly didn’t think, as a family, that we would be dealing with loss at this level in 2026. Skipper’s passing was a complete shock and totally unexpected. Life is that way sometimes. Jarring and excruciating. No matter what you have experienced thus far, or what may lay ahead, we can be certain of one thing.

He is good, both now, and more importantly, forever. Amen.