“The Goodness of the Lord” – waiting on God

All of us are waiting for something, whether it’s an Amazon order or a medical diagnosis. What about you? I know a faith-filled woman whose newborn daughter needed open-heart surgery within the first few months of life. Her family’s seemingly endless wait for this life-saving operation kept them on their knees and also created an opportunity for many other prayer warriors to support and carry them through a very challenging season. Now that this complex procedure is complete, they (and their praying “village”) will remain on their knees waiting for the full healing and restoration of this little one’s body.

A few months ago, I felt led to move my recliner, where I usually read and pray, downstairs, strategically placing it right next to the piano (also known as my “office”). The deeper purpose behind this furniture rearrangement soon became apparent. One day while sitting in my “prayer chair” reflecting on the final verses of Psalm 27, a melody came to mind and I was able to immediately move to the piano and begin writing a song entitled, “The Goodness of the Lord.” When I later dedicated this song to the mother and daughter I mentioned, the mom was even more deeply touched than I ever could have imagined. You see, years earlier, unbeknownst to me, these exact words from Psalm 27 were her soul’s anchor during another especially challenging time in her life. They reminded her of God’s past faithfulness and His ability to do the impossible once again. What an amazing circle of creation and provision, and what an awesome God who works so personally, deeply, and perfectly in His time!

“The Goodness of the Lord” is set as a responsorial psalm. In this style, a vocalist, called a cantor, sings the first refrain, which is then repeated and sung by the congregation in between subsequent solo verses. Using the words of Psalm 27:13-14, the refrain is King David’s confident declaration that he will see and experience God’s goodness “in the land of the living,” that is, here in this earthly life. Certain, settled, and assured in the midst of surrounding enemies, threats, and even possible abandonment by those closest to him, he encourages us to “be strong, take heart, and wait.” While long seasons of waiting can potentially strengthen and deepen our faith, they can also drive us into anger and unbelief. To express this tension, the melody climbs to a long hold, called a fermata, on the word “wait” before completing the thought, “for the goodness of the Lord.” To further prolong the wait, I intentionally delayed the final harmonic resolution of the refrain. The song’s verses, also from Psalm 27, speak of the strong foundation of God’s faithfulness that allows David to patiently wait and trust in His goodness. As I listened once again to this song while praying for this four-month-old child, I was struck by the words, “take heart,” remembering that while the doctors have done their part to repair her heart, only God can bring healing and renewed life to her tiny body.

Like the family of this baby, and maybe like you, I, too, am waiting and praying…for some things that seem very long in coming. If I am honest, beyond acknowledging my need for an answer or some sense of direction, I don’t really know what to ask for or what would be best, and I have no idea of how or when God will answer. But waiting does not have to be an agonizing and negative experience. In Spanish, the word “esperar,” can be translated “to wait,” “to hope,” or “to expect.” So we, as Christians, can most assuredly wait with hope and expectation in the One whose works, from the beginning of creation, are described as good.

The theme of God’s goodness runs throughout the Bible. An early and often repeated refrain of praise is found in 1 Chronicles 16:34: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Romans 8:28, the verse that first penetrated my own heart with God’s love, says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” James 1:17 affirms, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Waiting on this good God who Scripture says is “the same, yesterday, today, and forever,” is not just knowing that He will answer, but also having confidence that He is preparing His absolute best for us, to be delivered at the perfect time. He is good and He can do nothing less than good!

Our seasons of waiting are precisely the moments when we need to reread the Lord’s powerful acts of goodness in the Scriptures and recount His gracious acts in earlier chapters of our own lives. The longer we have walked with Him, the longer the train of His victories to recall! Remembering past experiences of waiting and the ways God has provided in His perfect timing can actually change the way we wait in the present. Looking back, and even opening our eyes in the moment, allows us to see the past and present goodness of God, and helps us look ahead with hope, anticipation, and expectation that we will experience even more of the goodness of the Lord in the days to come. Don’t give up – look up!

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Ps. 27:14) David also wrote in Psalm 23:6, “Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

(“The Goodness of the Lord” can be found on the album, "Resting in Your Goodness" )