When Jonathan McReynolds first dropped "God Is Good" back in 2018 on the Make More Room album, nobody really expected a simple, repetitive chorus to become a global anthem for people going through the absolute wringer. It wasn't the flashiest track. It didn't have the complex vocal runs he’s known for in songs like "Cycles" or "Comparison Kills." Honestly? It felt like a prayer someone whispered in a hospital waiting room rather than a chart-topping hit.
Yet, here we are in 2026, and the song is arguably more relevant than ever.
Music moves fast. Gospel moves even faster sometimes. But Jonathan McReynolds God Is Good has managed to bypass the usual expiration date of "hit songs" because it tackles something most people are too scared to say out loud: that God’s goodness isn't about everything going right.
The Theology of a "Bad Day"
Most gospel music follows a predictable arc. You’re down, you pray, and then—boom—you’re up. Jonathan flipped that. The lyrics don’t promise the trouble goes away. Instead, they say, "May your struggles keep you near the cross."
That is a heavy line. It’s counterintuitive.
We usually want our struggles to end, not to be the thing that keeps us tethered to our faith. But Jonathan’s perspective, which he’s discussed in countless interviews and most recently in his 2025 book Before You Climb Any Higher, is that the "valley" is where the real growth happens. He performed this track on the Tamron Hall Show in early 2025, and you could see the audience—people from all walks of life—visibly moved. Why? Because everyone has "bad days."
The song suggests that your bad days are actually the proof.
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It’s easy to say God is good when the bank account is full and the family is healthy. It’s a lot harder when you’re staring at a "closed" sign on your dreams. Jonathan’s songwriting leans into that tension. He isn't selling a polished, perfect version of Christianity. He’s selling the version that works when you’re tired.
Why "God Is Good" Broke the Gospel Mold
The song’s structure is fascinatingly simple. It’s written in Bb Major, a warm, accessible key. It doesn't rely on a massive choir until the very end, and even then, it’s more of a communal swell than a performance.
It's a "Life Music" Staple
Jonathan often calls his genre "Life Music." He’s a guy who plays about 85% of the instruments on his early records. He’s a professor. He’s a writer. He’s deeply human. When he sings about battles ending "the way they should," he’s acknowledging that "the way they should" might not be the way you wanted them to end.
That’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Most listeners gravitate toward the song during transitions. Maybe a job loss. Maybe a breakup. It’s become the "go-to" for live recordings because it’s easy to teach a crowd. You don't need to be a professional singer to join in. You just need to have lived a little.
Real Impact and Chart Longevity
- Release Date: September 7, 2018 (on Make More Room).
- Live Performance: The live video has racked up over 15 million views on YouTube alone.
- Grammy Recognition: While Jonathan has won Grammys for other tracks (like "Able" in 2024), "God Is Good" remains his most-covered song by local church worship teams.
The song’s longevity isn't just about radio play. It’s about the fact that it’s been integrated into the literal liturgy of modern worship. It’s rare for a contemporary artist to write something that feels like a traditional hymn, but Jonathan pulled it off.
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The 2025 Revival: "Before You Climb Any Higher"
If you’re wondering why there was a sudden spike in interest in this track recently, look no further than Jonathan’s 2025 book release, Before You Climb Any Higher: Valley Wisdom for Mountain Dreams.
In the book, he gets incredibly raw about the price of fame. He talks about how reaching the "mountaintop" of the music industry—winning the awards, doing the tours—actually made him crave the simplicity of the message in "God Is Good."
He basically argues that we are so obsessed with "winning" that we forget how to just be.
He told Lecrae in a recent "Deep End" podcast episode that fame is isolating. He mentioned that the "bad days" mentioned in the song were often his most private moments of burnout. By being transparent about his own struggles with the "climb," he gave the song a whole new layer of meaning for fans who thought he "had it all."
What Most People Miss About the Lyrics
There is a specific line that people usually gloss over: "May your battles end the way they should."
We usually interpret "should" as "winning." But in Jonathan's world, sometimes the battle "should" end in a way that humbles us. Or a way that redirects us. It’s a radical level of surrender that most pop-gospel avoids because it doesn't sell as many concert tickets.
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Honestly, the song is a bit of a trap. It starts off sounding like a Hallmark card and ends up demanding a total overhaul of how you view your own suffering.
How to Apply the "God Is Good" Philosophy
If you're looking to actually live out the message of the song rather than just humming the melody, here is how you do it:
- Stop Hiding the Struggle: Jonathan’s whole brand is built on being "pure and transparent." If you're having a bad day, don't pretend it's a good one.
- Lean into the "Valley": Take the "life-giving pauses" he mentions in his book. Don't rush to the next mountain.
- Redefine Goodness: Start looking for "goodness" in the strength to endure, not just the removal of the problem.
- Simplify Your Prayer: Sometimes "God is good" is the only prayer you have left. And according to this song, that’s plenty.
Jonathan McReynolds has built a career on being the "smart" gospel artist, the one with the clever metaphors and the acoustic guitar. But with "God Is Good," he proved he could also be the "soulful" one. He tapped into a universal truth that doesn't require a degree in theology to understand.
It’s just about realizing that the cross is closer when the world is louder.
Practical Next Steps for Listeners
If this song is hitting home for you right now, here is the best way to dive deeper into the message:
- Watch the SiriusXM Live Session: There’s a version of him performing "Detail" and "God Is Good" that captures the raw, unplugged essence of the song better than the studio version.
- Read "Before You Climb Any Higher": If you feel like you're failing because you aren't "succeeding" fast enough, this book is the manual for the song's philosophy.
- Check Out "Able": If you want to hear how his sound has evolved since 2018, his 2024 hit "Able" with Marvin Winans is the perfect "big brother" to "God Is Good." It carries the same weight but with a more triumphant, seasoned energy.
Whether it's 2018 or 2026, the message doesn't change because the human experience of struggle doesn't change. We're all just trying to prove that our whole lives—the messy parts included—mean something.