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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 27:1-14

TO CHEW ON: “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait (in faith) on the Lord;
Be of good courage
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14

I underline and write little notes in my Bible. The verses above are underlined with this note beside them: “Aug/09 Benjie’s accident and home stay.” It refers to our son’s 20-foot fall from a roof onto concrete last summer. It was a scary time with head injuries and broken bones. After he was discharged from hospital it was a stretching time, when our unhappy 20-something kid had to move back in with the folks because he needed help.

 B. the day after the accident

When you’re in the middle of such a time, you realize – Now I’m putting it to the test. All these things I’ve said about God and His goodness to others – will they prove true in my own life? It’s a time you have to stir up courage, wait, believe.

This psalm makes a couple of things clear:

1. People who trust God encounter trouble like everyone else. When David asks rhetorically, “Whom shall I fear?” and “Of whom should I be afraid?” he’s telling us there are people / events / circumstances he could be fearing. He speaks of armies coming against him, war, a time of trouble, a time of feeling forsaken.

2. But God is with us in our troubles. David says God hides him, sets him on a high rock (out of harm’s way), takes care of him when he feels alone. God’s ministrations come to us in different ways at different times. As I write this, I keep remembering images of the devastation in Haiti from last month’s earthquake – the desperate people, hurt, lost, orphaned, homeless. Did God come to them? I’m sure in the days and months ahead, we will hear how He did.

B. with his dad, Friday, Feb. 19, 2010
- Granville Street Bridge, Vancouver, BC.

He came to us. The ophthalmologist who saw our son on the day of the accident predicted he would probably lose the sight of his injured eye. Several weeks later his words were, “I’ve never seen such a remarkable recovery.” In the months since his accident B’s fractured wrist has almost full mobility and his face isn’t scarred. Looking back on that time, I see how it made our relationship with him stronger and more tender. We truly saw the goodness of the Lord!

Whatever trouble you’re in the middle of today, take the words of this psalm as your own. “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.”

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your faithfulness, help, protection, and for not deserting me in my time of trouble. Help me to learn to wait on you in every situation. Amen.

MORE: Hillsong – The Desert Song