There’s a popular Christian worship song called “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f4MUUMWMV4 )
A group that I record with is working up an acappella version of this song right now, and we have fallen in love with the music and the lyrics of this song.
In my last post I mentioned that I started doing a “thing” recently – “Pray a Word a Day”, published by Guideposts (https://www.shopguideposts.org/pray-a-word-a-day.html ) – where a word is supplied each day for the reader to contemplate, read the accompanying devotional text related to that word, and pray about what that word means to you and COULD mean to you.
You can read that post from my blog, called ENLARGE here: https://peripheralwisdom.com/2022/08/18/enlarge/
A few days ago, the Word of the Day was “GOODNESS”.
As a Christian, I’m very familiar with idea of the goodness of God. I smugly thought, “Ha! I’ve got this goodness idea down! What can it show me that I don’t already know?”
You know where this is going, don’t you? God: “Challenge accepted.”
Most people are at least a little familiar with the 23rd Psalm, which starts like this:
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…”.
Y’all, I have to quote that Psalm in King James English… No other, more recent translation’s wording feels right for this one.
This Psalm is about the goodness of God, how He gently guides us, comforts us, and meets our needs.
We tend to focus on the first part of this Psalm, but take a look at the very last verse.
Psalm 23:6 says
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...”.
I always thought that was pretty cool, that God’s goodness and mercy would tag along as I go about my life. It’s nice to know He/they are right there with me.
But also last week (so many “coincidences” with this Pray a Word a Day study – wink wink) I discovered that the Hebrew word that was chosen, which we have generally translated as “follow” here, really means more like “chase” or “pursue” in the usage of the day when it was written.
I did not know that.
God wants to give me His goodness and His mercy so badly that He chases, pursues me to offer it to me??
Of course, I don’t have to accept it. But He’s going to make sure it’s always there in case I change my mind.
So instead of goodness and mercy hanging out on the sidelines and tagging along as I go about my business, God’s goodness is chasing me, pursuing me. ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE. Even when I try to run away from Him, because that’s what we do. We say, “Yeah, I got this. I don’t need what you’ve offering here. Buh-bye.”
Que the song “Goodness of God”, a newer praise song by Bethel Music (link supplied at top of post). I actually like our acappella arrangement better, but you’ll have to wait a while to be able to hear that!
Anyway, the bridge of “Goodness of God” (starts at the 2:27 mark on the linked version) says:
“your goodness is running after, it’s running after me“!
Which captures this concept of God’s goodness chasing us, pursuing us, perfectly.
Add music to anything, any concept, and it goes so much deeper. Now, I didn’t just understand God’s goodness more deeply, I FELT it as well.
So, that day last week, on an ordinary Thursday, 3 things happened to help me really, deeply understand the Goodness of God:
- Working up a song called “Goodness of God” that says “(God’s) goodness is running after me”
- Reading my Pray a Word a Day word, which just happened to be GOODNESS
- Learning that “follow” in Psalm 23:6 really means “chase” or “pursue”
Mind blown.
Appreciation for God’s goodness magnified exponentially.
I can’t wait to see what else He wants to show me as I work through these words each day.
GOODNESS
GOODNESS OF GOD – Lyrics
Verse 1
I love You, Lord
For 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
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
Chorus
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
Verse 2
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God (yeah)
Chorus
And all my life You have been faithful (oh)
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God (yeah)
Bridge
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me (oh-oh)
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It keeps running after me
Chorus
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
(I’m gonna sing, I’m gonna sing)
‘Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Jason Ingram / Ed Cash / Brian Mark Johnson / Jenn Louise Johnson / Ben David Fielding
Goodness of God lyrics © So Essential Tunes, Capitol Cmg Paragon, Bethel Music Publishing, Shout! Music Publishing Australia
Peripheral Wisdom 