Good

For the Lord is good;
his mercy endures forever
And His faithfulness to all generations.
– Psalm 100:5

This is it: number forty. It wraps up a Lenten discipline for another year. When I began the path of Forty Words in the psalms, I had little knowledge of where it would lead. No words or particular psalms were preselected. The beginning of the journey was a bit like Dorothy putting her ruby-slipper-adorned feet on the yellow brick road, with the confidence that, if she followed it, the path would lead her to the right destination. While Dorothy’s focus was mostly on the destination, ours has been on the journey itself, trusting the Holy Spirit to have us step and stop in the right places.

Considering all the places we’ve stopped along this journey, it seems most fitting that the final stop is on the word “good.” The Lord is good. Used as an adjective (remember, it is also a noun), good means “satisfactory, pleasing, to be desired, acceptable, beneficial.” I ask myself today if the journey through Forty Words has been good. My answer: most definitely. It has been pleasing to remember the richness of the psalms, to let my spirit resonate with the ones who birthed these moving passages. It has been beneficial to press through the commitment of the discipline. A commitment of time and effort was necessary. At times it was difficult, but that, too, is part of the benefit. Forty Words has also been a reconnection to something I actually enjoy doing: writing. I’m not all that good at it; as some would say, I shouldn’t quite my day job :-). Nevertheless, it is enjoyable. If you have something you enjoy but don’t do any longer, you know how I have felt.

While I am thankful for the blessing I’ve received, the highlight of my reflection here is not about any benefit I have experienced. The main takeaway of all this is a reminder of something we proclaim regularly when we gather: God is good. The psalmist offers a simple statement that has endured for centuries. Its truth continues to draw the hearts of people to a position of thanksgiving and praise. It is not a statement about what God does; it is a statement about God’s character. One reason this carries so much power is that we often are not clear about God’s ways. We don’t always understand why God allows things to happen. We aren’t always aware of how God’s hand is at work. In all this, we are asked to trust God. If we didn’t have confidence in God’s character, trusting Him would be difficult. Fortunately we do know. God is good, all the time. That claim gives our hearts a safe and certain place to rest.

The Lord is good. His mercy is boundless. His faithfulness is unwavering from one generation to the next. On a Saturday many years ago, the hearts of Jesus’ friends were torn. The foundation of their hopes had crumbled, and the brutalized body of their dear rabbi was lying in a tomb. Little did they know that the previous day would be known for centuries after as Good Friday. They would have seen nothing good in it. What they didn’t know in the moment was that Sunday was coming. Even things that seem horrible to us can be vehicles for God to work good. When we don’t understand God’s ways, let us trust God’s character.

Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand. But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand—and He is good!

Thank you for making the journey with me. I wish you a joyous and blessed Easter.