‘Unless’

‘Unless’

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13

Life can throw at us many things which will provoke us to lose heart. The saints of God of ancient days knew this very well. David serves as a model for the child of God in affliction. His life was a series of hardships and adversities. In the Psalm from which our text for today derives, David refers to ‘the wicked’ who are his ‘enemies’ and who intend to ‘eat up my flesh.’ He goes on to speak of his ‘father and mother’ forsaking him, and of ‘false witnesses’ who have ‘risen against me.’ Like Jacob, David could say, ‘All these things are against me.’ What would keep him from losing heart?  David declares, ‘I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.’ How would God show David His ‘goodness…in the land of the living?’ The key to understanding that lies in the context. Consider his statements, ‘He shall hide me in his pavilion, in the secret place of His tabernacle…He shall set me high upon a rock.’ Who has tabernacled Himself with humanity, but Christ? Who is the Rock of His people, but Christ? Christ is the Guarantor of our seeing ‘the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’  He is the pre-eminent evidence of, ‘the goodness of the Lord.’ David’s Hope is our Hope. Christ Alone can keep us from ‘losing heart.’ He never fails His people. His Word is always good. His timing is always excellent. Because of Christ, and our hope in Him, we do not ‘lose heart.’

Our Gracious, Upholding God,
we rejoice that You give us Hope.
We praise You that You will continue to uphold us
until all our Hopes become realities.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning