I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27.13-14
When things are in a mess where do you turn? When things go wrong and the pressures bear in upon you where do you go for help, encouragement and hope?
In verses 7-12 of the psalm, although the details of what he was facing are not specific, we certainly see David in a very different place to that which he was in in 1-6, but in closing, he is clearly back on the right road supremely confident in his God and his goodness.
Another psalm where such confidence flows out from him is probably the best known of all; ‘Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life’ Psalm 23.6.
Ralph Davis is, as ever, pithy and to the point when he writes:
‘Verse 13 seems to be a word of testimony, while verse 14 a word of advice. In verse 13 he says, ‘Here’s where I have come to stand,’ while in verse 14 he says, ‘Here’s where you should stand.’
Are you in that place today? Confident that whatever lies before you, you will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.’ It is a glorious position to be in and is open to all God’s children. The realisation of that goodness may not be immediate which is why the advice follows ‘Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart.’ He will bring relief.
I do not believe that the advice here, to wait, is a call to passivity – just doing nothing till the situation is resolved as the goodness of the LORD is seen, and it will be. Rather I think it means leave the present situation in God’s hands while you continue to walk with him and work for him. That way the work goes forward and next time the pressure is on your confidence in God will be even greater as you see that he equips you for every trial.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10.13
What a promise! May God enable us to stand on it as David did all those years before it was written to the Church in Corinth for God is the same yesterday, today and forever.