Lamentations 3:25
“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Lamentations 3:25 continues the writer's confession of hope at the heart of the book. Having declared God his portion, he states the broad truth that grounds his confidence: the Lord is good to those who patiently wait for and earnestly seek Him, even in seasons of profound loss.
What Does Lamentations 3:25 Mean?
Lamentations 3:25 affirms a steady truth about God's character: "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." After confessing that God is his portion and resolving to hope in Him, the writer now states the principle behind that hope. God is good -- not merely powerful, not merely just, but good -- and His goodness is reliably experienced by those who wait for Him and seek Him.
Two responses are highlighted: waiting and seeking. "Waiting" is patient, expectant trust that does not give up on God even when His help is delayed. "Seeking" is the active longing of the soul that turns toward God and pursues Him. These are not opposites but partners; the one who waits also seeks, leaning into God while trusting His timing. The verse gives no quick formula or guaranteed timetable; it simply assures the heart that God is good to such people, and that goodness will not finally disappoint them. In a book heavy with grief, this is a quiet, durable comfort: the path through sorrow is not frantic striving or numb resignation, but patient, seeking trust in a God whose goodness is sure. Those who wait for Him discover that He was worth waiting for.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew tov means good, and qavah means to wait for or look eagerly for, while darash means to seek or inquire after -- describing the trusting posture that experiences God's goodness.
Cross References
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
- Isaiah 40:31
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
- Psalm 34:8
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
- Hebrews 11:6
Application
When God's help seems slow in coming, choose to wait and seek rather than to grow bitter or give up. Patient, expectant trust is not wasted; God is good to those who wait for Him. Keep turning your heart toward Him in the delay, confident that His goodness will not finally disappoint the seeking soul.