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!
Posts
Very true, and I could relate on so many levels. Thank you for this encouragement! xo
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Petra, and God bless you!
DeleteHow beautifully and wonderfully said Diana! Christ is our hope in every avenue we travel. If we lose sight of that, we become impoverished in our souls. To study the Word, pray each day and face the activities with Him beside us brings us hope in our daily life. I, too, have been exposed to the "health, wealth, name it and claim theology and it is empty of truth. It leads to despair and it is not unlike practicing magic or divination. I would rather relax in the shelter of God's sovereignty any day than to worry I might have said something that brings a curse on me. Thank you for sharing this wonderful post. It is thoughtful and well said! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Barbara. You are absolutely right about the "name it and claim it" theology leading to despair - after listening to some of the teaching over the summer we could feel the fear rising even though we knew it was false teaching! I love how you said this: "I would rather relax in the shelter of God's sovereignty any day" - Amen, sister! God bless you.
Delete"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."
ReplyDeleteI love what you say about how the "Lord brings deliverance, His goodness, through the darkness!" Psalm 139:12 talks about how the darkness is as light to Him. He sees in the dark!
What you've written here are the blessed words of an overcomer.
-E
Bless you, E. Knowing we serve a God who sees in the dark, and uses the dark for His own Good Purposes, knowing the darkness does not overcome the light, knowing that God is the great Separator Who separates the light from the darkness within us - what Hope this brings to my soul.
DeleteThank you for how you model those eyes of faith to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living within the theology of the cross.
"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" Amen, Diana! Oh, how true! The power of sin is guilt and in Christ, the law of the spirit of life has set us free! You have captured and articulated so beautifully what it means to be truly victorious! Thank you my dear!
ReplyDeleteThank you, my dear Christina - it is such a blessing to be able to share something of this journey together, and to be encouraged/exhorted by one another. God bless you, sister!
DeleteWhat a glorious promise! We can trust His goodness and His grace and His sovereign reign. He will show Himself faithful!
ReplyDeleteHe will indeed, Lisa! Thanks for your comment :)
Delete