Jan and I are at a stage in life where we have seen God’s goodness revealed in our past, now in our present, and for what will happen with us in our future. As we think about what the Lord has done for us and what He has brought us through, it has been emotional at times when we realize we have been recipients of His goodness all along the way.

Some think that mentioning “God is good!” is a New Testament thing. It’s not. God has always been good, even as He existed in pre-time while considering the creation of all things – humans included.

The rebuilding of the temple is an example of people who understood God’s goodness. “When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed” (Ezra 3:10).

As the people paused after laying the Temple’s foundation, they declared something profound, “With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: ‘He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!’ Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid” (vs.11).  Understanding the never-failing goodness of God is part of the foundation of our faith in Christ.

Understanding the depths of God’s goodness is not just an intellectual understanding. It will affect us emotionally, “But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy” (vs. 12). Weeping at the history of God’s goodness in the past and having joyful expressions of His love in the present reveal we understand the Lord at a deeper level.

Understanding and believing in God’s goodness will become the testimony of our faith that will be carried around the world. It will become an invitation for others who heard of our gratitude to God to come and also experience His goodness: “The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance” (vs. 13).