The goodness of the LORD in the land of the living

Everything within me is declaring the faith of this verse of scripture today:  

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” 

(Psalm 27:13). 

Not just when Jesus returns, but today, now. A hope not only set on what is stored up for us in heaven (Col 1:5), our inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade but which is kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4) – but a hope that we will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

It is true, we are pilgrims here in this fallen world which continues to bear the curse of the Fall. We are aliens and strangers here on earth, longing for a better country, a heavenly one (Heb 11:13,16). We have our eyes fixed not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor 4:18).

Yet I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Now hear me out. I have not suddenly embraced a health and wealth prosperity gospel, or dominionism. Being exposed over the summer to some Word Faith teaching filled my soul with horror at the way in which Almighty God is subjugated to the power of our words in this heresy.

No, my friend. Within the theology of the cross we can still see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living, within suffering, within weakness, if we will have eyes of faith to see it. Spurgeon says of this verse: 

“David believed to see the goodness of the Lord, not only in the glory land yonder, but also in this land here below. He believed to see the goodness of the Lord, not merely when he emerged from the furnace, but also while he was in it. As a pilgrim and a stranger, he believed to see the goodness of the Lord during the days of his pilgrimage. He did not always see it, but he believed to see it; he believed in it, and anticipated it; and, by believing in it, he did actually come to see it with the eye of his mind, and to rejoice in it.”

And I have seen it! Christian friend, for so many years my walk with God was shrouded in continual despair. I walked with Him, but carried round a weight with me and was never free from my burden, the burden of sin. I would ask myself “is this it? Is this what the Christian life is – loving Him, wanting to follow after Him, but continually failing, continually tripping up, dwelling in a continual fog of sin, always repenting but never moving on? Is my only hope of seeing the goodness of the LORD in respect to the victory over sin when Jesus returns or when I die?”

Today, praise God, I can answer NO! My burden has gone! God has taken it away! I am free from it (even though sometimes I try to pick it up again)! I continue to battle against sin, daily I wrestle with it, I abhor it, I mourn over it, I seek to put it to death, I long, oh how I long for that day when I shall finally be free of it! But I no longer identify myself with it – for through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death! I can testify that in respect to the victory over sin, I have indeed seen the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 

The goodness of the LORD in the land of the living reveals itself in numerous ways, and not just in those precious times when we can enjoy the blessings of God upon us when things are going smoothly. Spurgeon said of David “He believed to see the goodness of the Lord, not merely when he emerged from the furnace, but also while he was in it”. And here is what is so amazing – in Psalm 18, David’s psalm of deliverance, he has prayed to God for help in his distress, and as the Lord comes to his aid “He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky” (Psalm 18:11). The Lord brings deliverance, His goodness, through the darkness!  My friend, even the darkness need not make us fear, for God is using it for His purposes of deliverance, He is in sovereign control using everything for His purposes to bring Glory to His Name! The goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

We worship the God of Hope, and this Hope applies as much to this world as to the one to come when the fullness of the Kingdom will be revealed in all of its wondrous Glory. No situation is without Hope or beyond the reach of the redemptive hands of our God. He will always bring Glory to His Name, whether that is through delivering us from a trial or giving us the strength to endure it, but always always always revealing more of Himself to us, fulfilling our longing to know more of Him, feeding us from the tree of life, causing us to overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

Grow in grace...

It has been a pure blessing to witness my 6 year old, Harry, growing in various ways of late. On Friday, at his swimming lesson, he swam a whole width of the pool without any aid for the first time. As he climbed out of the pool and jumped excitedly around, he turned and saw his mother doing exactly the same in the viewing gallery :) On Saturday as we went for a family walk around Virginia Water lake, with Harry on his bike, it was a pleasure to see him able to cycle up the inclines that previously have defeated him, witness to the fact that God is causing his muscles to grow stronger.

Yesterday his Postal Bible School lesson arrived, and he was so excited to see that he has moved up a level in the worksheets he is given to complete. This is proving to be a great way for him to learn more of the Bible, he is so motivated by the fact that he has to send away his answers to be marked, and then receives his very own personal letter in the post with his marked work and the next worksheet.

I have especially been blessed by the books we have been able to share together at bedtime of late. Just before Christmas I asked my friends for some ideas of good children’s books. And so we have been reading RC Sproul’s children’s books and are now going through Grandpa’s Box. These are proving to be wonderful books, and as Harry grows in his understanding of the Bible, it is a joy to see him starting to piece the threads together of the great theme of redemption running throughout the Bible.

Another area where Harry has grown, one that I wouldn’t have chosen myself, is in dealing with brokenness in the world. A mother’s instincts are to protect her child from such things. But I’m mulling over these words of a friend:  “It's only natural to want to protect our children from suffering, but it's far more realistic and spiritually responsible to prepare them for suffering, starting with teaching them of the sovereignty of God.” I am beyond thankful that my Sovereign God holds my son in His hands and that every situation and circumstance that comes his way I know God is using for His Glory’s sake.

So for all the areas in which Harry is growing, there is only one area of growth that really matters to me,  and this is growth not in his head knowledge, but in his heart, where I can merely sow seeds and pray that my tears offered on his behalf to God will be used by Him to water the seeds as He makes them grow – growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen!  (2 Peter 3:18).