Lyrics
So Very Good
Read together: Psalm 16:5–11; Psalm 128; Job 1:20–22; Romans 14:7–9
Every so often, it is worth stopping to look back over the road you've traveled. This song does exactly that. Another year come and gone, another night turned to dawn; another mile, another road—but not one step walked alone. And after taking stock of it all—joy and pain, sun and rain—it reaches one conclusion: My God, my God, You have been good.
The second verse counts blessings with deep gratitude: a wife to share burdens, laughter, tears, and praise; children, and then grandchildren running in the door; friends who stayed. More love than I ever could deserve or earn on my own. Read Psalm 128. The psalmist describes the blessing of a household that fears the Lord—a wife like a fruitful vine, children like olive shoots around the table, and the joy of seeing one's children's children. Family is one of God's richest gifts, and gratitude for it is a form of worship.
But what makes this song so powerful is that it does not only thank God for the good days. The chorus says: When prayers were answered, when they were not; when mountains moved, when mountains did not; when I could run, or when I barely stood—still I will say, my God is good.
That is mature faith. Read Job 1:20–22. When Job lost everything in a single day, he tore his robe, fell to the ground, and worshiped: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Later he would ask, "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" (Job 2:10). Job wrestled hard with God after that—but he never stopped addressing Him as God. The song echoes that: You never promised I'd understand; You only promised I'm in Your hand.
Read Psalm 16:5–11. David says, "Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup… The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." He looked at his life and saw God's goodness in where God had placed him. And he ended with confidence about death: "You will not abandon me to the grave… You will fill me with joy in Your presence."
The third verse mentions a calling: You gave these hands a call to preach of Jesus, Lord of all. If one lost soul found Calvary, then every scar was grace to me. We will not presume to know the details of that ministry. But many who serve the Lord can say the same: if the hardships led even one person to Jesus, they were worth it.
The bridge faces the end of life with remarkable peace. If today should be my last, don't mourn for days already passed. I've lived beneath a nail-scarred hand, and I'll awake in that Promised Land. Read Romans 14:7–9. "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." The hand that held the singer through the years will carry him home.
The final lines are some of the most beautiful in this collection: When my final breath is through, my next one, Lord, belongs to You.
If you are looking back over your own years, consider making this song your prayer. And if you have not yet placed your life in the nail-scarred hand, it is not too late.
A moment to respond: Take some time this week to write a "So Very Good" list—specific ways God has been good to you, including in seasons when prayers were not answered the way you hoped. Read Psalm 16:5–6 and thank Him. Share one item from your list with someone in your family.
Let's pray: My God, You have been so very good—far better than we ever understood. Thank You for family, friends, and every mile You walked with us. Thank You for being good when prayers were answered and when they were not. We belong to You in life and in death. When our final breath is through, let our next one belong to You. Amen.
Our desire at UnrelentingJesus is that you would look back over your life and see the goodness of God in every season—and trust Him with every season to come.
