GOODNESS IN THIS LIFE

Does it ever seem to you that everyone talks about goodness happening in the future - in some far off place beyond this life? I don't know about you, but I could use a little goodness in this life.

The Bible doesn't promise us ease and a life without troubles, but neither does it say that all God's goodness will only be available once we cross onto the heavenly shore either.

Once again I was doing my Bible study - I really love that Shelia Walsh directs her readers to the Psalms so often. I love the Psalms - they seem to speak to me like no other book in the Bible for some reason. Maybe it's because they are so real. It's not all pretty words - it's true feeling and emotion. Yet, it is also truth.

Anyway, I was looking at Psalms 27. I'm guessing that you may have heard the first verse of Psalms 27, but I want to share a few more with you. "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumble and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident."

Doesn't that sound wonderful - to not fear or tremble even if a host of enemies surrounds you, to have such confidence in God that you have no fears. How does David get to this point?

The answers are in the next verses. In verse 4, it says, "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His Temple."

The reason David can be fearless is because his greatest desire is to dwell or abide in God's presence. To be in the house of the Lord was to be in God's presence in David's day.

In verse 8, it says, "When You said, Seek My Face, my heart said to you, Your face, Lord will I seek."

I love the way David longs for God's presence. David, who was weak and frail. David who committed adultery and then committed murder to cover it up. That David - that's the one who was fearless because, despite everything, David knew where his source of strength and sanctuary really was.

However, my favorite verses are at the end of this Psalm in verses 13 and 14. "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord."

David could be fearless because he made the decision to abide in God's presence and because he had hope. He had the hope that God would show him goodness, not just in heaven but here on earth, too. This allowed him to wait on God and to be strong and to take courage.

The Bible says that hope deferred makes a heart sick. Have you been waiting for something for a really long time? Maybe for a wayward child or a distant husband? Maybe the thing you are waiting for is more practical - finances to turn around or health to improve. Is your hope just about gone? Maybe it's time to renew your faith that God WILL show you His goodness in this life - just maybe not in the way you envisioned.

I once read that Satan can't deceive many people to really believe God doesn't exist, but he CAN deceive them into thinking God is not good.

Do you believe in God's goodness?
~ Blessings, Bronte