Choosing to See the Goodness of the Lord

Psalm 27:13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (NIV)

Such a glorious statement, but have you read the whole chapter? David has been fearful. His enemies are surrounding him.

After pleading and lamenting, he is now calling out to the Lord, speaking about his head being lifted up and staying confident and claiming the Lord as the stronghold of his life.

No army is after me (except for those who prowl with The Enemy), but this I am reminded of in battles and circumstances  – those things that sap my energy, wear on my spirit, feed my weaknesses of anxiety and discontent, and add to the pit in my stomach.

• Land of the living:  My battery dies in the car ride line at school
• Goodness of the Lord: the man behind me gave me a jump start, my dad taught me to keep jumper cables in my car, my battery was still under warranty and our mechanic replaced it.

• Land of the living: I lock my keys in the car at soccer practice while my husband is out of town.
• Goodness of the Lord: I have the $$ to pay the locksmith, there is such a thing as a locksmith.

• Land of the living: My child has had a day of meltdowns, and it is all I can do not to have one myself. Eventually, I fail.
• Goodness of the Lord: There is time in the day left to love on him, choose to see him for the blessing he is, forgiveness is real and immediate from the Lord.

• Land of the living: Circumstances weigh heavy, emotions run rampant, shame is present, disappointments are overwhelming, and relationships are in peril.
• Goodness of the Lord: The sun is shining, His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), He is in control, even when I’m not, especially when I’m not.

In these moments, I am reminded to stop and remember the Stronghold. Find that to be thankful for. Choose to see the goodness of the Lord.

Maybe an army is after you. It could be fear or anger or shame or just rotten things going on. It could be a lousy marriage relationship or the loss of a job.

What are your Land of the Living moments? How do you choose to remember and meditate God’s goodness?

The beautiful picture of Scripture courtesy of Billy Alexander on stock.xchng