Psalm 27

I believe I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Psalm 27:13

This verse has been resonating inside my mind. For the past week my life has for various reasons, and in no uncertain terms, sucked. I’ve found myself unable to read anything in the Bible besides Psalm 27, which I’ve read over and over. I can’t be sure, but I imagine that this Psalm was written when David was hiding from Saul. Though David had been Saul’s greatest servant, the king now sought David’s life, forcing him to flee. Though David had multiple opportunities to kill Saul, or perhaps even lead a popular revolt against him, he would not do so because Saul was king by the edict of God. Instead he hid for years, betrayed by those who called themselves his friends, hunted by those he had risked his life for.

There were probably plenty of nights spent in caves where David wondered if God knew his cause, if He cared about him at all. Enter verse 10:

If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up.

At this point a lot of people had forsaken David, but he asserts that though his parents turn against him, God would not. This statement means the world to me. I cannot even think of a situation where my own parents would forsake me. But if it were to happen, no matter the circumstance that led to it, God would not turn against me, He would take me up. I can’t even fathom the depth of that concept, it’s just beyond me.

Armed with this belief, David, in his darkest hour, comes up with verse 13.

I believe I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

We know from the other Psalms that David has a keen understanding of the need for the hope of heaven, but this is different. David here is expressing hope for life on Earth, for what in the New Testament we’d call the abundant life. In a tough time, it’s easy to think, “Oh well life sucks right now, but one day in heaven it’ll all be better….” And that’s a true statement. But David doesn’t resort to that. Instead he insists that he will experience the goodness of the LORD while he is alive, that he will not spend the rest of his life fleeing from those who pursue him, that he will behold the beauty of LORD on this planet.

And how will he accomplish this? Verse 14:

Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Now this doesn’t mean to sit around on your blessed assurance and wait for God to hand you the world. In David’s situation he was waiting for God to remove Saul from throne, and that was precisely what he was supposed to be doing. It’s a matter of doing the will of God, and then trusting and waiting for God to control the outcome. This situation is easily compared with Joseph while he was in prison. He was bringing glory to God where he was, while waiting for God to act. Neither of them were idle watchers of the work of God, but laborers in his fields. Life had placed them in hard circumstances, but they honored God where they were, and waited for Him to deliver them.

Now I suppose not many of us are in prison and or on the run, but we have the same God that David and Joseph did, the God that will not leave us, though the rest of the world would. So though life seems to suck, I believe I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.