The Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living

Seeing the goodness of the Lord is a little like owning a Toyota RAV4. Let me explain.

The first car my husband and I bought together was a white 2012 RAV4. On our drive home from the used car lot, we passed what felt like a hundred more of them. Eventually, Collin glanced at me and said, “I didn’t realize how many people drive a RAV4!” 

Did the number of people driving that particular make and model experience a seismic uptick once we had purchased ours? Of course not. But RAV4s were at the forefront of our minds. We were looking for them, and because we were looking, we noticed them.

Spotting God’s goodness is similar. When you’re in the midst of a difficult season, it can seem like God’s hand isn’t really there. After all, our headspace is often taken up by the logistics of navigating the hard. Yet God’s Word assures us again and again that His goodness is all around us, so we shouldn’t lose heart—even when darkness presses in.

Consider Psalm 27:13:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living. (NKJV)

When my life felt like it was falling apart, Psalm 27 is the truth that I staked my hope upon—that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, even if I couldn’t see it at the moment.

But why is the goodness of God enough to keep you and me from losing heart?

God’s Goodness Is Who He Is

Time and time again in Scripture, we see that God is good.

You are good, and you do what is good. (Psalm 119:68)

The LORD is good to everyone;
his compassion rests on all he has made. (Psalm 145:9)

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)

When we think of the attributes, or perfections, of God, it can be tempting to think of them as separate elements. We might think that in one moment God is displaying His justice and in another is expressing His love. Why? Because as humans, this is how our attributes and emotions often work. 

Yet the Lord is not like us. He has no partitions. God is always perfectly good. He is always perfectly loving. He is always perfectly just. He doesn’t merely have these attributes, He is these attributes. This is precious news for our souls. 

Because God is always perfectly good, that means He is always perfectly good to us. In every season—whether joy, sorrow, ease, difficulty, abundance, or suffering—we can trust that God is working through His unfailing goodness. His goodness is not determined by our circumstances; it’s rooted in His unchanging character. When your circumstances become confusing, painful, or frightening, you don’t have to wonder whether the Lord’s heart toward you has changed. His goodness remains as steady as His character.

God’s Goodness Will Follow You 

In Psalm 23, David proclaims, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (v. 6, ESV). The word follow here can seem gentle and passive, as though God’s goodness is simply trailing behind us at a distance. But the Hebrew word carries much stronger connotations. It could be literally translated as being pursued, dogged, or harassed. David’s point is not that God’s goodness accompanies him. Rather, God’s goodness pursues him. If you are in Christ, it pursues you too.

Like a shepherd who refuses to lose sight of his sheep, the Lord actively follows after His people with covenant love and mercy. His goodness is not reluctant, delayed, or occasional. It is steadfast, persistent, relentless. God’s goodness isn’t just meandering around after you; it’s chasing you down. Even when you cannot see it. Even when your prayers seem to hit the ceiling. Even when suffering tempts you to believe God has forgotten you. His goodness is still pursuing you.

God’s Goodness Is Sovereign 

One of the biggest reasons we lose heart is because we begin to wonder if our suffering is meaningless. When trials linger, prayers seem unanswered, or life takes an unexpected turn, we can be tempted to believe that our pain is purposeless. But the goodness of God reminds us otherwise. The Lord never wastes a moment of our lives. No, every second is woven together by His wise, loving, and good hand. 

Consider these truths:

“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good.” (Genesis 50:20)

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

In His sovereignty, the Lord can work our hardest circumstances for our ultimate good and His glory. Even in the difficult, the Lord is good and does good. 

How Do I Know God is Actually Good To Me?

It’s easy to know the truths above in an intellectual sense. What’s hard is believing them when the land of the living appears to be marked more by suffering and difficulty than God’s goodness. If you’re in that place today, let me remind you of the single greatest instance of God’s goodness to you and to me.

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 ESV)

If you are doubting whether the Lord is good to you, look to the cross where God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up to accomplish your salvation. Let it remind your heart that the goodness of God isn’t just a difficult doctrine to grapple with but rather a concrete reality that has been demonstrated in the greatest act of love and sacrifice we have ever known. 

When you cannot yet see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, start at the cross. Gaze at your Savior, and when your heart has been comforted, ask the Lord to help you see the everyday things that are signposts of God’s goodness. 

A beautiful sunset? He made it. 

A warm, filling meal? He provided it.

Encouragement from your church family? He designed it. 

God’s goodness is scattered all over the land of the living, friend. Ask Him to give you eyes to see it. It’s here.