I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! – Psalm 27:13-14
When we think of everything that has happened in our world this year, we begin to wonder if the psalmist is correct in saying verse 13, above. I know I have read the psalm before in the midst of trial and strife, and questioned, “will we really see the goodness of the lord in the land of living?” Again, now, we might wonder is it possible given our world’s seemingly endless list of problems.
However, the key to understanding how we get to see the goodness of God, is found much earlier in the psalm. This Psalm attribute to king David is a call for confidence; a confidence that is only found in God. The psalmist first remarks that it is the Lord who is light and salvation. When we are going through dark times, it is sometimes difficult to see the light, but we know, deep down that Jesus is the light of the world.
The same Jesus that brought us out of the pit, who gave us life eternal, the same Jesus who shed his own blood that the world, through him, might be saved. He is our light, he is our salvation, and he is one with God the Father, and has given us the Holy Spirit to ignite a light within us that can shine in those dark times, that can bring joy to our own being, as well as be a help to others.
We know that the majority of folks agree that the darkness we see in the world is wrong, and they want it to get better. They themselves choose to do better, speak better, and treat others as they wish to be treated. What we miss sometimes, is the reality that when someone else is going through such darkness, we have to shine our light even brighter that they might find a way out. When we see evil and injustice in the world, we have to stand and shine our light by speaking up. When we join the voices that speak against evil, God gives us the confidence of which the psalmists speaks, God teaches us and gives us a voice that joins with others, and shines a light brighter and brighter until the darkness disappears.
We may be far from seeing our worlds darkness disappear, but I believe, if we wait for the Lord, if we speak with the Lord asks us, and use the language of light and love, we will truly one day see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Until then, keep shining, my friends.
Grace & Peace,
Sam