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“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!”  Psalm 27:13

Psalm 27 is the one that begins, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” The psalmist, David, going through a dark period in his life, reminds himself of who is in charge and who is looking out for him.

Can you relate? Have there been periods of extreme distress in your life? Have you ever been tempted to lose hope? Psalm 27 was written as David was fleeing for his life, not an unusual situation for him. Except for those of us who have been stationed in a military war zone, most of us have yet to experience the strife and physical danger he faced. He had just finished reminding God that his father and mother had rejected him, and false witnesses had arisen against him, breathing out violence.

Enemies with weapons aren’t the only dangers we may ever face. Were you bullied as a child? Have you had a disease that threatened your life? Do you have children who made disastrous choices that cause you to tremble for them? Maybe you have had a divorce, a life-changing accident, or been a victim of crime. None of us gets through this life unscathed or undamaged.

But David’s word choice is interesting. He says he shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He already knew he was going to see the goodness of the Lord after death. That was a given. But to trust that he would see the Lord’s goodness yet in this lifetime was an act of faith. His Psalm ends, as it begins, on an upbeat note.

I believe we always have reason to hope for goodness in this life, even when we are suffering. The blessing may come in the form of a hot cup of coffee that brings warmth, the blessing of relief from pain medication, or an unexpected visit from a friend. Maybe it comes in the form of having a need filled unexpectedly. Or maybe it is serenity in the face of crisis.

We can lean heavily on the word of God when He says, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

“Father, You are in charge of all things, including the trials and disasters in our lives. We thank You that You have the power and the desire to change our circumstances. When we need it, please remind us that we shall yet see Your goodness in the proper time.”

 For His Glory

Cherie Harbridge Williams
TRBC Women’s Life