Psalm 27:13 says, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
There are many in our world today who have lost heart. Their courage has ebbed away because they no longer anticipate and expect to see the goodness of the Lord…not when they get to heaven, but here in the land of the living.
That’s what the psalmist David is talking about here. He isn’t talking about God’s goodness in heaven someday—although His goodness will be fully revealed when we get there. He’s talking about this life! I want to encourage you to raise your expectation to see the goodness of God intervene in your life…today!
Maybe you are in a situation where you’re desperate when it comes to your finances. Maybe there are things going on in relationships…in your marriage, with your kids, maybe in some other arena of life…and you need to see God’s goodness come into your life. If so, I’m going to share why you can expect God’s goodness in the land of the living.
Titus 1:2 says, “God, who cannot lie, promised.” Hebrews 6:8 says, “It is impossible for God to lie.” That’s one thing that God can’t do! He can’t lie. When He makes a promise, He will fulfill it. In fact, near the end of his life, Joshua made a very profound declaration to the people of God. In Joshua 23:14, he said this:
“Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.”
What a declaration! Every good thing God spoke concerning you has come to pass. Not a single word has failed. Why? Because God, who cannot lie, promised. That’s why you should expect to see His goodness!
Not long ago, I read the story of a convicted criminal who was standing before an eastern monarch. He was going to lose his head shortly, and he asked for a drink of water. The king granted him his request, and a glass of water was brought to him. The criminal was shaking so badly that he couldn’t drink the water, so the king said, “Look, don’t worry. You won’t die until after you’ve drank that water.”
Immediately, the criminal took the glass and shattered it on the ground. Then he turned to the king, and he claimed his royal word. He said, “You said I wouldn’t die until I drank that water. I will never drink that water now.” And the king, with a bitter smile, said to him, “You’ve saved your life, for I must keep my word even to you.”
Now, if an earthly monarch reluctantly keeps his word to a convicted criminal, how much more will our heavenly Father, who watches over His word to perform it, keep those promises that He has given to you? You should expect the goodness of God because God, who cannot lie, promised. That’s a reason for hope in your life today!
