Singer songwriter Dave Barnes has consistently drawn me to his music, especially when I first heard his Grammy nominated love song (addressed to his wife) "God Gave Me You." I've had the privilege to sing along with Dave in concert a couple of times, and he always puts on a great show with both his entertaining, moving songs and his witty on stage commentary.

Something about Dave's music I've come to cherish is how closely I relate to the content of his songs, such as with "Mine to Love," "White Flag" and "Love Will Be Enough for Us" from his album Stories to Tell. In January, Barnes released his album Golden Days, which chronicles his life on the road as a traveling musician, husband, and father, as evidenced in his lead single "Good." I had the chance to speak with Dave about that song.

Please tell me the personal story behind writing this song.
It's funny, the actual song, melody and music was something I started writing over a year and a half ago. This happens to me the older I get, where as I'm writing it I have a verse or chorus idea, and I like it but don't finish the song. I feel like every now and then as a writer an idea hits me so hard that I'm not sure I'm ready to write the song yet. I put it on the back burner and considered writing the song for someone in the Country music market, thinking it could definitely work for another artist as I wasn't working on my own album yet at the time. I was pretty sure I was calling the song "Good."

A couple of weeks before I started recording my new album, one of my dear friends Jeremy Stillman and I were going to write a song together, and I told him about this song. I do something I call "song spelunking" where I dive into all of my unfinished songs before I record an album to find some ideas. I played it for him, and he told me the song gave him chills and that I needed to record it for my album. He was benevolent enough to support me, and at that point I tweaked the song to be my story. It was totally a goose bump, emotional moment.

As I get older, I find myself getting more and more moved writing songs. I've always felt the best we can do as artists is to reveal what is valuable to us and hope other people feel the same. It is always one of the hardest things we do, and it is also what makes what we do so fun when other people feel the same way. It's been really rewarding, and I knew when I played it for friends, my wife and my producer Ed Cash that they were all really moved by the song. When you really feel that a sentiment has been purveyed like with this song, that's the best feeling.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Genesis 1:31 (The Voice): Then God surveyed everything He had made, savoring its beauty and appreciating its goodness. Evening gave way to morning. That was day six.

Psalm 13:5-6 (The Message): I've thrown myself headlong into Your arms—I'm celebrating Your rescue. I'm singing at the top of my lungs, I'm so full of answered prayers.

Philippians 1:3 (The Voice): Whenever you cross my mind, I thank my God for you and for the gift of knowing you.

Romans 8:28 (The Voice): We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

What is the takeaway message?
There are a few parts of the song that really connect to me personally and to Scripture. Jeremiah 29:11 also connects to this song. The juxtaposition in the song is what helps the message pay off. If I didn't also sing about what is sweet, not in a "isn't my life so great and awesome" way, but the message and encouragement to me is that the decisions I've made that haven't been great don't detract from the fact that the Lord is there, and the Lord's plan is ultimately good.

For me, that's the great payoff from the song. It's one thing to sing about things that sound like you're bragging, and another is to say that it's good because it has also been bad. Being able to see God redeem everything to His glory ultimately does bring happiness. We are the most joyful when God is the most glorified.

That's what moves me so deeply. Not "God is great, look at this, we laugh all the time, and life is amazing." Instead, the song is about how life is hard, but God is good. The personification of God's kindness is found in letting us be parents to our two year old son. Like everyone tells you, when you have a child you understand the Lord so much. God consistently reminds me that something He is passionate about is restoration, redemption and reconciliation.

Lyrics:
As the sun slowly rises above the river
I look out over all that God has made
Listen as the day starts to awaken
I thank God for things that never change

I can hear her laughing in the kitchen
And the sounds of little footsteps on the stairs
I've got all I'll ever need: a wife, a home, a family
And I thank God for all those answered prayers

And it's good
I got more than I ever thought I would
I can finally see how all the wrong turns and the heartaches
The lessons in the mistakes
Help me count these blessings like I should
And it's so good

Every day's a gift that I've been given
Every breath feels like a second chance
And everything I've done heaven has seen
And God just keeps on forgiving me, and I
Do my best to change what I can

And it's so good
I got more than I ever thought I would
I can finally see how all the wrong turns and the heartaches
The lessons in the mistakes
Help me count these blessings like I should

And it's good to know that I have been forgiven
Good to have her laying by my side
I've been given more than I deserve
For a past so full of bridges burned
I couldn't make this better if I tried

And it's so good
I got more than I ever thought I would
I can finally see how all the wrong turns and the heartaches
The lessons in the mistakes
Help me count these blessings like I should
And it's so good

I get very emotional when I sing along with this song, just like Dave described when he wrote it and sang the song for his wife and his friends. In the same vein as Dave's hit songs "God Gave Me You" and "Mine to Love" this song is also Dave's personal story being shared for everyone in a moving and vulnerable way. This isn't just a story or just Dave's message, but is a song that we can all sing back to our loved ones and to God to thank Him for His blessings.

In a lot of ways, the song has a psalmist's vulnerability, like David saying "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" Psalm 34:8 (NKJV). The song uses prayer-filled phrasing like "I thank God for things that never change" and "help me count these blessings like I should." That's a big part of Christian living, praying back to God with thankfulness for what He has given us and remembering to lift up our eyes and our voices to Him who gives all that is good. When God created us in His image, He said "it is very good."

This song celebrates the truth written in "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis, which depicts Aslan (God) as described in the book and movie: "He's not safe, but He's good." Yes, He's very good. I'm challenged to remember to count my blessings, learn from my mistakes and heartaches, and sing Him this song, as we've all "been given more than we deserve." As stated in Psalm 147:1 (The Voice): "It is good to sing praises to our God, for praise is beautiful and pleasant." Amen to that!

(Watch the music video here.)