by Tammy Phillips
November 4, 2004
The goodness of God endures continually. (Psa 52:1 NKJV)
Many times in life I have declared, “I do not understand.” After seeking God for understanding about a death in our family, His simple answer to me was, “I count the number of the stars; I call them all by name. Great [is] the Lord, and mighty in power; My understanding [is] infinite.” (adapted from Psa 147:4-5 NKJV) He taught me that I did not have to understand because He did. You might say that is no answer. It is my answer, and it brings me peace every time I cannot understand.
I do not understand the miracle of birth. I do not understand God’s goodness, nor His timing. I do not understand a lot. I do not understand why my daughter-in-law had to ride the roller coaster of labor for twenty four hours to deliver our granddaughter. I do not understand why she had to push for four hours and some only four times.
I will tell you what I do know. God is good beyond our understanding!
After our granddaughter, Harper, was born, we apprehensively watched her be rolled down a long hall to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit through a sliver of a window in a door in the family WAITING room. My first imaginations were fear! ”We are not losing another baby in our family! Did her journey through the birth canal cause permanent damage like my stepsister’s brother experienced? Is Caroline, ok? Did Harper swallow meconium like my oldest son?” These thoughts did not last as long as it took for you to read them. I went into battle mode, even though the pressure was intense, and I could hardly breath. I stood in faith, prayed, and reminded God of who He was, what He could do and His promises. I declared, “Even if…you are faithful!”
Kris stood watch, never leaving the window, looking down the lengthy hall to the NICU. I prayed. Then hope arose when we saw Parker come and go down the extended corridor to see Harper. We had no idea what was going on. Then the midwife came out and asked the Phillips family to join her in a private room. I am sure we all turned white. You know what that normally means. Someone exclaimed, “All of us are with the Phillips family!” She sat and explained that Harper had swallowed meconium and was having a hard time catching her breath. They were going to monitor her about an hour and then take her back to Caroline’s room. She was OK! Praise God. We stayed at the hospital a couple of hours in order to briefly meet her. She was tiny and seemed to still be struggling a little to breathe. She HAD been on a tough journey. She, her Mom and Dad, had passed the warrior test of endurance. Praise God.
We arrived home about 4:30 AM. We had been up about forty-eight hours. We needed rest and sleep as did they. We would visit later in the day. However, at 9:24 AM, we received a text from Parker, our son. It read, “They had to take her back to monitor. She cannot register a temperature. Her oxygen and respiration levels have dipped. She threw up green stuff. Just pray.”
Again, fear came knocking, but faith came blocking. The wind was knocked out of me. The enemy had thrown a gut punch, but Holy Spirit came over me and faith arose. I called Parker and Caroline and we prayed. My oldest son had experienced some of the same things at birth. I had given him over to God and we were doing the same with Harper, knowing God would take care of her.
After praying, Kris and I prepared to return to the hospital, but first, I gathered some healing scriptures and texted them to the kids to stand on. I sent the text around 11 AM. Afterwards, I just started singing, the Goodness of God:
“I love You, Lord
Until I lay my head
Oh, Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
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
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other…”
Then Holy Spirit reminded me that I had written on my calendar to start a new devotional on September 20, 2024! It was called, Waking up to the Goodness of God by Susie Larson. I ran to my prayer room and picked up the book. I read:
“Show me the lies I picked up when life let me down…Teach me to walk in Your ways with such consistency and confidence that I’m no longer moved by the storms that once shook me. Hold fast…” AND this word from God was waiting on me, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to rescue each time.” (Ps 34:19)
For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zep 3:17 NLT)
This was a divine appointment with God in so many ways. Peace overcame me. He calmed my fears and reminded me that He is our Savior. At that exact moment in time, I knew that I knew that I knew Harper was going to be ok. I was in the presence of Peace, our Rescuer, our Deliverer, Goodness! I shared the good news with Kris over a lingering embrace. We waited to hear the confirmation from the kids. We continue to get ready. As we were driving to the hospital to stand with the kids, we received a text from Parker: “She’s been back with us for an hour. Said everything is looking better. Way more alert, actually sucking a paci.”
Oh, the goodness of God! He is faithful and true. His timing is perfect.
When we arrived back at the hospital, we found the new family in room 3033 ! I could only laugh at the goodness of God. When the Lord wakes me at night to pray, it is usually around 3:33 am and He gave me this promise to back up those prayers. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”(Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV)
We called. He answered and showed us His salvation. GOD IS GOOD…all the time.
I enCOURAGE you to reflect on the goodness of God.
- The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him
- Nahum 1:7
- Good and upright is the Lord. Psalm 25:8
- The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. Psalm 145:9
- The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. Exodus 34:6
- The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. Lamentations 3:25
- Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34
Complete in Him 