"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."
~Psalm 27:13
Life is hard. Cars break down. Tornadoes rip through towns. Friends let us down. Children rebel. Marriages fall apart. Singleness lingers. Dreams shatter.
Sometimes life overwhelms us so much that we feel on the verge of despair. Getting out of bed in the morning proves challenging. We find it pointless. We know nothing will have changed. We convince ourselves we know what to expect: disappointment and more disappointment. We know things will fail to go the way we want. Instead, we will face challenges, stress, and pain.
So why listen to the alarm clock? Getting out of bed is a sign of hope, a sign that perhaps today will be different, and we know it won’t be. We echo Solomon’s assessment that there is nothing new under the sun and all is meaningless (Eccl 2:11, 12).
We are not alone in our struggle. In Psalm 27, David expresses that given his circumstances he too could have easily fallen into despair. And who could blame him? Evil men sought to devour his soul (v.2), a war waged against him (v.3), and his family had abandoned him (v.10). So why didn’t he give in to despondency? How did he find the strength to persevere?
David recognized he had two options: trust in God or fall into despair. There was no in between. When we stop believing that God will show up in our lives, hopelessness is sure to follow.
So David set his heart to believe that he would again see God’s goodness. In other psalms we catch a glimpse of how and why David chooses to believe: his memories and God’s unchanging character. For instance, during a time in the wilderness David writes, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy” (Ps 63:6, 7, emphasis added). Times of depression then involve not merely a struggle to hope, but a battle to remember.
David is not the only biblical character to recollect on God’s past faithfulness. Throughout Scripture, God’s people constantly remind each other of who God is. Why? Because God never changes. If He delivered in the past then they could count on Him to deliver again. For example, Jeremiah in the midst of grieving the destruction of Jerusalem comforts himself by remembering who God is, that His mercies are indeed new every morning (Lam 3).
God does not, will not and cannot change. If He was Savior yesterday, He is Savior today. If He was mighty in the wilderness, He is mighty in the office place. If He was provider in the desert, He is provider in the loneliness. If He was healer in Bethsaida, He is healer in Atlanta. If He was restorer then, He is restorer now.
So if we find ourselves cynical, bitter, or depressed chances are we need reminding of who God is. Let’s study the stories of old, given for our encouragement (Rom 15:4). Invite friends to share about God’s provision in their lives. Reflect on God’s previous works in your own life. Let’s replay God’s love and faithfulness in action.
Finally, speak to your own soul. Exhort it to hope in God, just like the psalmist said, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence” (Ps 42:5).
With David, let’s rest our future, our every day, our every morning, on God’s proven, unchanging character. For as we do we can roll out of bed with confident expectation, knowing that perhaps today is the day we "will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."
