Making God’s Goodness Your Daily Conversation

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to let the noise of the world drown out the quiet, steady rhythm of God’s goodness in your life? We live in a culture that moves at a breakneck pace, always looking for the next problem to solve or the next fire to put out. Consequently, we often find ourselves exhausted, feeling as though we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. But the Bible offers us a different way to live, a way that focuses on the finished work of Jesus and the relentless mercy that follows us every single day.



When I think about my own journey, through fifty years of ministry, battling Stage 4 cancer, and surviving a brush with COVID that nearly took me home, I realize that my survival wasn't just physical. It was spiritual. My mind needed a place to rest. I found that rest in a very simple, two-part rhythm found in the Psalms. It’s a rhythm of thinking and talking.

Psalm 77:12 “I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”

This isn't just a suggestion for a "quiet time." It is a blueprint for a life lived in the sunshine of God’s grace. Austin Gardner has learned that if you don’t intentionally fill your mind with the truth of God’s goodness, the world will fill it with fear and performance-based anxiety. Therefore, we must learn to stop, think, and then speak.

The Power of a Focused Mind

The first step in this journey is what the Psalmist calls meditation. Now, don't let that word scare you. In a religious context, we sometimes think of meditation as something complicated or mystical. However, biblical meditation is simply "thinking deeply." It’s chewing on a truth until the flavor of it fills your soul. It’s like a cow chewing the cud; you take the Word of God, and you go over it and over it until it becomes a part of you.

We need to stop and think about all that God is and has been doing. He has been so good to us, even when we weren’t looking. When we take the time to "count our many blessings," as the old hymn says, we are often surprised by what He has done. We realize that His hand was moving in the shadows when we thought we were all alone.

If you find yourself struggling to believe that God is for you, I want to encourage you to take The Big Leap of Faith. Believing that God loves you exactly as you are is the foundation for everything else. Once you settle that in your heart, meditation becomes a joy rather than a chore.

Four Specific Areas for Your Meditation

To help you get started, let’s look at four specific areas where God’s goodness is on full display. When you sit down to "think" on His works, start here:

1. The Wonder of Creation

Think about the world around you. From the vastness of the stars to the intricate detail of a single leaf, God’s power and creativity are everywhere. He didn't just make a functional world; He made a beautiful one. This reminds us that we serve a God of abundance, not scarcity.

2. The Finished Work of the Cross

This is the center of everything. We must meditate on the fact that Jesus didn't just start the job; He finished it. Your sins, past, present, and future, were paid for in full. You are not being graded. You are being held. When you think about the Cross, you realize that God’s love for you is not based on your performance but on His character.

3. How He Sought You Out

Think back to the day you were saved. You weren't looking for Him; He was looking for you. Like the shepherd seeking the lost sheep, His mercy ran toward you with intention. Specifically, consider the Grace that broke through your stubbornness and the Mercy that refused to let you go.

4. Answered Prayers

We are so quick to ask and so slow to remember. Take a moment to look back at your journals or just your memories. Think about the times you were in a "pit," and He pulled you out. Think about the provisions that came just in time. These aren't just "good luck." These are the "doings" of a Father who delights in His children.

Beware the Two Great Thieves of Gratitude

As you begin to meditate on God’s goodness, you will run into two mental traps. These thieves want to steal your joy and keep you locked in a performance-based mindset.

First, there is the "Coincidence" trap. This is when we look at a blessing and say, "Well, that was just a lucky break" or "The timing just happened to work out." When we do this, we rob God of His glory and ourselves of the comfort of His providence. Nothing in your life is a coincidence. Everything is filtered through the hands of a Father who loves you.

Second, there is the "I Deserved It" trap. This is the voice of legalism. It tells you that God blessed you because you were "good" today or because you did your chores. But the truth is, we don't deserve any of it. Everything we have is a result of Grace. When you realize you don't deserve it, the blessing becomes a hundred times sweeter because it is a gift of pure love.

Remember this: “Rest doesn't come after you fix yourself. Rest comes first.” When you rest in His goodness, you stop trying to earn what has already been given.

From Thinking to Talking: Giving Him the Glory

The second half of Psalm 77:12 is the action: "and talk of thy doings." Once you have spent time thinking about how great God is, it should naturally overflow into your conversation.

In my years of mentoring through Alignment Ministries, I’ve noticed that people who talk about God’s goodness are much more resilient than those who only talk about their problems. When you "talk of His doings," you are reinforcing the truth in your own heart and sharing that light with others.

Don't just keep your meditation a secret. Tell your spouse, tell your children, tell your friends at church. Say, "You won't believe what the Lord did for me today." This isn't bragging about yourself; it’s bragging about your God. It shifts the focus from your struggle to His strength.

Making it a Daily Habit

How do we make this a daily conversation? It starts with a choice. Every morning, before the emails start flying and the kids start shouting, take five minutes to think. Specifically, ask yourself: "What is one way I saw God's mercy yesterday?"

Meanwhile, as you go through your day, look for opportunities to weave His goodness into your talk. If someone asks how you are doing, instead of just saying "fine," you might say, "I’m resting in God’s grace today." It’s a small shift, but it changes the atmosphere of your heart.

Austin Gardner has seen that "Loved people become loving people." When you are constantly thinking and talking about how much God loves you, that love can't help but spill out onto the people around you. You become a person of peace in a world of chaos.

 “Mercy is not trailing behind you with conditions. It is running toward you with intention.”

Rest in His Sufficiency

As we wrap this up, I want you to land in a place of absolute assurance. Maybe you feel like you’ve failed at "thinking right" lately. Maybe your talk has been more about complaining than praising. Listen to me: God is not disappointed in you. He is not measuring your worth by your consistency.

Christ is enough. His finished work is the anchor for your soul. You can rest today knowing that His mercy is after you right now, ready to bring real grace and honest hope. You don't have to climb a ladder to get to Him; He has already come down to you.

Stop. Think. Talk. Let the goodness of God be the song of your soul today.

FAQ: Thinking and Talking about God’s Goodness

How do I start meditating on God's work if I feel overwhelmed by my problems?
Start small by picking one simple truth, like "God is good," and repeat it to yourself throughout the day. Focus on the fact that your identity is in Christ, not in your circumstances, and let that truth provide a foundation for your thoughts.

What if I don't feel like God has been doing much in my life lately?
Sometimes God’s work is quiet, like the growth of a seed underground, but He is always active. Look back at the Cross and the gift of salvation; those are "doings" that never change and are always worth talking about.

Is it okay to talk about my struggles, too, or should I only talk about the good things?
It is healthy to be honest about your pain, but try to frame your struggles within the context of God’s grace. Even in the middle of a trial, you can say, "This is hard, but I know God is with me," which gives Him the glory even in the mess.

CTA: To dive deeper into these truths, listen to the Followed by Mercy podcast. You can also find more resources on Thinking Right and resting in Grace at waustingardner.com.

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