It’s no secret to most of you that music is very meaningful to me – after all, it is what I do for a living (and Lindsay will tell you the lines between hobby/vocation/job/passion get very blurred at times!)

One of the themes I find coming back again and again in music for worship is the goodness of God, and over the years I’ve found that songs which speak about this often become my favorites. I know with the challenging times we are in that it may be difficult to feel like anything is “good”, but in some odd way I take great comfort in the fact that even when nothing else seems to be good, I know God is.

Yes, I can say that.

I think I knew it intellectually for many years, but it wasn’t until one day while leading worship that I really felt it to the core of my being. (Now, let me preface this story by telling you I’m a pretty rational, logical person – I believe in God, have faith, etc. and have done so most of my life – but I’ve always been skeptical of supernatural occurrences or people claiming to have a “message from God’….)

So, back to the story. I was leading worship one Sunday at First Baptist Riverside, and we were singing this song:

What a good God you’ve been to me –
Your goodness and your grace ev’ry day, Lord, I’ve seen.
What else can I do but give my deepest thanks to you?
What a good God you’ve been to me.

What a faithful God you’ve been to me –
You’ve provided far beyond eve’rything I’d ever need.
What else can I do but give my deepest thanks to you?
What a faithful God you’ve been to me.

What a loving God you’ve been to me –
You shed your blood so I could stand here and be free.
What else can I do but give my deepest thanks to you?
What a loving God you’ve been,
What a faithful God you’ve been,
What a good God you’ve been to me.

(words and music by Tommy Walker)

I remember that I played the introduction and was getting ready to sing – and in that moment where I drew a breath to start, it was like for a split second God granted me a glimpse of the true nature of God’s infinite goodness (which of course was immediately followed by the realization of my not-goodness!). I was rendered immediately speechless and tears came to my eyes… fortunately the members of the team just started singing without me, and I was able to play for the first couple of verses and finally join in on the last verse.

I remember afterwards feeling like I should acknowledge the moment to the congregation, and I said something like “if we have an experience where (for only a brief moment) we are allowed a glimpse of the goodness of God, and that experience renders us speechless and brings us to tears, I think that’s quite normal… so thank you all for singing those words while I couldn’t…”

There’s another song I’ve been hearing lately (and we’ll very likely be doing it in worship soon) “The Goodness of God”

Verse 1

I love You Lord, oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days I’ve been held in Your hands.
From the moment that I wake up, until I lay my head;
I will sing of the goodness of God.

Chorus

All my life You have been faithful – All my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able I will sing of the goodness of God.

Verse 2

I love Your voice You have led me through the fire.
In darkest night You are close like no other.
I’ve known You as a father, I’ve known You as a friend;
I have lived in the goodness of God.

I hope no matter where you are or what is happening in your life right now, that you can sense the goodness of God.

Let us pray:

God, for each breath we draw, for each day you give, for your goodness and love in all times – good or bad – we give you thanks. Amen