Believing to See
Ps.27:13-14 “I would have fainted except I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
David, the writer of this psalm understood the most difficult of life struggles. He experienced unimaginable challenges which waged war against his soul. He wrestled to trust God in times of trouble, just like you and I. When reading through the Book of Psalms you see his days of vulnerability and victory. No, he wasn’t suffering from a mental disorder, he was experiencing what all humanity does, the good days and the days we wish we could push the delete button.
“I would have fainted.” David was so emotionally spent that departure from this life seemed easier than his present suffering. There is a place emotionally where a person can feel they cannot hold on one more breath. In those times of desperation, we need encouragement from other people, but most of all, we need to know God has not left us and that he is very aware of our struggle.
Years ago, I used to read the Ziggy comics. One comic in particular strikes me in light of this devotion. This is my recollection of that comic. Ziggy is looking upwards and praying to God. He says, “God, I know you said the meek will inherit the earth, but in case you have not noticed, we are getting creamed down here.” Can you relate?
There is an important responsibility we all must decide to take up when facing emotional exhaustion. Believing! Yes, you have a part of determining your future. We do not want to hear that when our hearts feel like they are going to implode because of fear and anxiety. We believe that we have control of our circumstances in life, of which we do not. We would like to think we control the length of suffering seasons, but we do not. We would like to think we control the outcomes of our broken and sinful behaviors, but we do not.
The word “except” in this passage is very important to note. The “except” is where a choice is made. A choice to believe in God, his nature and his promises.
David said, “I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” David made the determination to look forward and not to dwell on the past. The past is where our pain is found, not our future. It’s the pain caused by poor decisions and hurtful things done to us by others. David could have stayed in that place of pain and embraced self-pity, but he did not. He chose to look forward beyond where life had been sucked away. He turned his head to look towards the future and he chose to trust in the one who holds the future.
When we are in the Muli grubs or depressed state it is hard to look with vision and hope, yet that is exactly the solution to moving past what has overwhelmed our soul.
David chose to recount the goodness of God. He reached deep into his memory banks to recall the myriads of times God had been faithful to him in years past. Reflecting on God’s historical intervention in our life is the very thing that helps us turn our eyes and heart to look forward.
Take the time to educate yourself on the subject of God’s goodness in the scriptures. His goodness flows out of his immeasurable love for you. It is his love that brings about his faithful intervention. It is out of his love that grace and mercy are extended to you.
Make the choice to believe. To believe means to be certain, to trust, and to have long stomp out the life sucking thoughts of doom. God is and will be faithful to see you through the journey that feels like the shadow of death spoke of in Ps. 23.
Vs. 14 “Wait on the Lord.” The word wait means to look with expectancy. “Be of good courage.” The outcome is “he shall strengthen thine heart.” That is God’s promise to you.
My friend, today, make the choice to believe in who God is. He is good, he is faithful, and he will never leave you. Recall his faithfulness and remind yourself of his goodness; it will carry you into the land of the living.
David, the writer of this psalm understood the most difficult of life struggles. He experienced unimaginable challenges which waged war against his soul. He wrestled to trust God in times of trouble, just like you and I. When reading through the Book of Psalms you see his days of vulnerability and victory. No, he wasn’t suffering from a mental disorder, he was experiencing what all humanity does, the good days and the days we wish we could push the delete button.
“I would have fainted.” David was so emotionally spent that departure from this life seemed easier than his present suffering. There is a place emotionally where a person can feel they cannot hold on one more breath. In those times of desperation, we need encouragement from other people, but most of all, we need to know God has not left us and that he is very aware of our struggle.
Years ago, I used to read the Ziggy comics. One comic in particular strikes me in light of this devotion. This is my recollection of that comic. Ziggy is looking upwards and praying to God. He says, “God, I know you said the meek will inherit the earth, but in case you have not noticed, we are getting creamed down here.” Can you relate?
There is an important responsibility we all must decide to take up when facing emotional exhaustion. Believing! Yes, you have a part of determining your future. We do not want to hear that when our hearts feel like they are going to implode because of fear and anxiety. We believe that we have control of our circumstances in life, of which we do not. We would like to think we control the length of suffering seasons, but we do not. We would like to think we control the outcomes of our broken and sinful behaviors, but we do not.
The word “except” in this passage is very important to note. The “except” is where a choice is made. A choice to believe in God, his nature and his promises.
David said, “I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” David made the determination to look forward and not to dwell on the past. The past is where our pain is found, not our future. It’s the pain caused by poor decisions and hurtful things done to us by others. David could have stayed in that place of pain and embraced self-pity, but he did not. He chose to look forward beyond where life had been sucked away. He turned his head to look towards the future and he chose to trust in the one who holds the future.
When we are in the Muli grubs or depressed state it is hard to look with vision and hope, yet that is exactly the solution to moving past what has overwhelmed our soul.
David chose to recount the goodness of God. He reached deep into his memory banks to recall the myriads of times God had been faithful to him in years past. Reflecting on God’s historical intervention in our life is the very thing that helps us turn our eyes and heart to look forward.
Take the time to educate yourself on the subject of God’s goodness in the scriptures. His goodness flows out of his immeasurable love for you. It is his love that brings about his faithful intervention. It is out of his love that grace and mercy are extended to you.
Make the choice to believe. To believe means to be certain, to trust, and to have long stomp out the life sucking thoughts of doom. God is and will be faithful to see you through the journey that feels like the shadow of death spoke of in Ps. 23.
Vs. 14 “Wait on the Lord.” The word wait means to look with expectancy. “Be of good courage.” The outcome is “he shall strengthen thine heart.” That is God’s promise to you.
My friend, today, make the choice to believe in who God is. He is good, he is faithful, and he will never leave you. Recall his faithfulness and remind yourself of his goodness; it will carry you into the land of the living.
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