Lamentations 3:25-27
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What's striking here is that God's goodness isn't a passive reward; it's intimately connected to active seeking and patient waiting. It's not just about what God is, but about the posture of our hearts toward Him.
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After pouring out his grief and acknowledging the harshness of God's discipline, the writer pivots. He realizes that even in suffering, the Lord's fundamental goodness remains, particularly for those who patiently hold onto Him and actively search for His presence and salvation. This verse emerges from a deep reflection on God's character amidst personal anguish and national disaster.
Ever feel like you're searching for something more, but not sure if God even notices? This verse reassures us that He does.
The verse highlights a profound truth: God's goodness isn't just a general attribute; it's actively extended to those who are actively seeking Him.
God's Active Kindness
This isn't a passive goodness. The phrase 'to the soul who seeks him' emphasizes a personal, engaged relationship. God responds to our earnest desire to know Him, to find Him, and to be in His presence.
The Object of Our Search
What are we seeking? It's not just blessings or answers, but God Himself – His face, His favor, His will. When our deepest longing is for Him, His goodness is revealed in meeting that desire.
A Rewarding Pursuit
Seeking God is never in vain. He promises to be found by those who diligently search for Him. This seeking posture invites His goodness into our lives in tangible ways, often exceeding our expectations.
In a world that screams 'now!', this verse calls us to a different kind of strength: the strength of waiting.
The goodness of the LORD is specifically promised to those who 'wait for him.' This isn't about passive idleness, but an active, hopeful anticipation.
Waiting as Trust
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Waiting on God means trusting that He is good and that His timing is perfect, even when it doesn't align with our own desires. It's an acknowledgment that He is in control and has a plan.
Renewed Strength in Waiting
Scripture often links waiting for God with renewal and strength. It's during these times of patient trust that our spiritual reserves are replenished, preparing us for what's next.
The Assurance of Deliverance
Those who wait for Him are assured they will not be put to shame. God's goodness ensures that their hope will be realized, bringing deliverance and fulfilling His promises.
Understand the original words
tob · Hebrew Adjective
That which is morally excellent, beneficial, or right. When applied to God, it means He is the standard of all perfection and acts in ways that are ultimately for the benefit of His people.
qavah · Hebrew Verb
To patiently expect or look forward to God’s timing and intervention. It involves active, prayerful endurance while trusting in God’s sovereign purposes.
darash · Hebrew Verb
To pursue, search, or inquire of God with intent and devotion. It signifies a life oriented toward knowing God and seeking His will and presence.
yachal · Hebrew Verb
To stay, tarry, or look expectantly for God’s intervention or fulfillment of His promises. It involves an active, faithful patience that trusts in God's timing rather than taking matters into one's own hands.
teshuah · Hebrew Noun
Deliverance, rescue, or victory. In a biblical context, it refers primarily to God’s saving action for His people, both in temporal crises and the ultimate eschatological redemption.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
YHWH or Yahweh, the personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel. It signifies the self-existent, faithful One who keeps His covenant promises to His people.
ol · Hebrew Noun
A wooden bar placed over the necks of draft animals to enable them to pull a load; metaphorically, it represents servitude, discipline, or the burden of responsibility and hardship placed upon a person.
Lamentations was written in the immediate aftermath of Jerusalem's utter destruction and the exile of its people. In this context of profound despair and loss, the verse emphasizes that God's goodness is not extinguished but is a steadfast hope for those who patiently seek Him, even amidst devastation.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah's Call to Prophesy
Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet, beginning a long ministry of warning the people of Judah about impending judgment.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and deports a group of Israelites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation
Another wave of exiles, including the priest Ezekiel, are deported to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is desecrated.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar completely destroys Jerusalem and its temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and sending most of the remaining population into Babylonian exile. This is the backdrop for the book of Lamentations.
c. 586-570 BC
Writing of Lamentations
The book of Lamentations, a collection of poems mourning Jerusalem's destruction, is believed to have been written by Jeremiah or someone deeply influenced by his perspective during the early years of the exile.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of the Jewish exiles to Jerusalem.
This passage echoes the sentiment of Lamentations, directly commanding the reader to 'wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD,' highlighting the active trust involved in waiting on God.
Isaiah 40:31This verse offers a powerful promise for those who wait for the Lord, stating they 'will renew their strength... they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint,' illustrating the profound benefits of such waiting.
Matthew 6:33Jesus' teaching to 'seek first his kingdom and his righteousness' directly parallels the idea of seeking God in Lamentations, showing that prioritizing God's purposes leads to His provision for our needs.
Hebrews 11:6This verse connects faith and seeking God, stating 'without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him,' underscoring the reward inherent in diligently seeking the Lord.
barnesLamentations 3:25: "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him."
In these three verses, each beginning in the Hebrew with the word good, we have first the fundamental idea that Yahweh Himself is good, and if good to all, then especially is He so to those who being in adversity can yet wait in confidence upon His mercy.
pooleLamentations 3:25: "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him."
Good is a term of a very comprehensive notion. The nature of it lieth in a suitableness to the thing or person to whom it relateth; so it signifieth profit and pleasantness . There is in God an essential goodness, which is his absolute perfection; but this text speaketh of a communicative goodness, which floweth from him to his creatures, and is seen in his suiting their various necessities and desi…
What's striking here is that God's goodness isn't a passive reward; it's intimately connected to active seeking and patient waiting. It's not just about what God is, but about the posture of our hearts toward Him.
After pouring out his grief and acknowledging the harshness of God's discipline, the writer pivots. He realizes that even in suffering, the Lord's fundamental goodness remains, particularly for those who patiently hold onto Him and actively search for His presence and salvation. This verse emerges from a deep reflection on God's character amidst personal anguish and national disaster.
After pouring out his grief and acknowledging the harshness of God's discipline, the writer pivots. He realizes that even in suffering, the Lord's fundamental goodness remains, particularly for those who patiently hold onto Him and actively search for His presence and salvation. This verse emerges from a deep reflection on God's character amidst personal anguish and national disaster.
"The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth." — What's striking here is that God's goodness isn't a passive reward; it's intimately connected to active seeking and patient waiting. It's not just about what God is, but about the posture of ou…
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Last reviewed October 2026
