I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:13-14
Thanks again, Bible Gateway, for a wonderful scripture selection this morning. I recommend reading the whole Psalm, but these two verses speak volumes into my life today.
Just say “no” to cynicism:
To me this scripture speaks against cynicism, yes, but also against naiveté, or rose-colored glasses. Fact is we live in a confusing and difficult world, where many people have thrown trust out of the window; trust not only in political leaders and institutions but in matters of the spirit too.
I have read posts recently from people who made the choice many years ago to walk away from the church, from Jesus, and from beliefs they had held for years, separating themselves from the presence, and care, and support of any faith community. Now they speak of loneliness, and overwhelm, and despair.
These folk can cite many understandable reasons for turning away. They talk about the hypocrisy, the sexism, the patriarchy, the rejection, the abuse, the hurtful behaviors, the manipulations, and the undertone of nationalistic politics – shortcomings that characterize too much of too many religious institutions. But the un-Christlike behaviors of sinful people do not alter the foundational fact of God’s love and God’s wide-open invitation through Jesus.
The same is true of the mistrust so many have for politics and political leadership. The amoral and manipulative behaviors of the power-hungry and arrogant do not change the fact that we live in a nation anchored in a constitution and a history that has demonstrated time and again that freedom and liberty and the self-evident truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence are not only sacrosanct but viable and fresh and relevant and transcendent.
Hope in these words:
So I stand with the psalmist!
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord (right now) in the land of the living (not just in the bye-and-bye).- So, while we must be patient and, Wait for the Lord;
- While we are waiting we can, be strong, and let your heart take courage…
Because strength and courage are not necessarily passive. We can act, we can live as people of light, we can rise above the mistrust and the cynicism. We can be light and hope and grace and mercy and promise in this broken world!!!!
At the same time, neither is God just waiting; God is willing to act through us. So come on home, those who have given up, God has never given up on you, and God never will!
– DEREK
Derek, my father made me memorize Ps 27:14 when I was seven years old and when he gave me my first Bible; he wrote the reference in the frontispiece. I later learned it was in the frontispiece of my parents’ Bible and my grandparents’ Bible. When I asked him years later why he had me memorize this verse, then the whole Psalm 27, he described the depth of faith it sometimes takes to trust God and wait for answers during situations or circumstances, and how God sustains you until circumstances beyond your control work out in God’s providence and timing. He shared personal experiences when that verse sustained him in life. Psalm 27:14 has been my life verse — I’ve used Psalm 27 often in pastoral care setting and have preached Psalm 27 numerous times. I’ll send you my sermon if you wish a copy. Thank you for your meditation today. Hugh
I appreciate it. And that is a cool story, Hugh! Thanks for sharing. Could you send me a link to a podcast of the sermon? I’d enjoy hearing you rather than just reading. Peace and more – Derek