SCRIPTURE: “I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 AMP
THOUGHT: Often Christians – especially people in difficult circumstances – will say, “I don’t know how non-believers cope without God.” These saints keenly feel God’s presence, especially when the chips are down and despair seeks to creep into their lives like covid around a mask; invisible, harmful, aggressive. But because of their faith, their immunity against despair is strong, and part of that strong spiritual immune system is remembering how God has shown up in the past.
The Psalmist often rehearses the past, remembering God’s grace and goodness, whether it was to him or to someone else in the ancient stories of God he’s known. Psalm 63:6 finds him remembering and meditating on God’s help as he’s lying in bed awake, probably trying not to worry.
Despair is a way of life for those who don’t believe that there is any objective truth at all. It’s called nihilism, and it’s a thing. “Life has no meaning,” nihilists conclude; sometimes it makes them happy that nothing matters, and sometimes it makes them suicidal. According to CDC data, suicide has almost doubled in the last 20 years, and it’s far worse among the young, more than tripling from 2000 to 2020 among 10-14 year olds, and more than doubling among those 15-24. Since 2020, it went up another 10 percent, bringing the total of lives lost to almost 50,000 in 2022.
Fifty thousand Americans a year no longer in the land of the living because they gave up. Strangely, no social scientists are talking about happiness growing at an alarming rate.
It takes faith in God’s goodness on this side of the river to keep us from despair. It takes believing that God exists and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6) – not just in eternity, but in the here and now. So, every time between now and the end of the year you see one of those signs that says “Believe” – which I think pertain to Santa Claus – make a little covenant with your eyes to see Psalm 27:13. Believe you will see the hand of God in the land of the living, and remember all the ways it’s been seen in the past.
SONG: Goodness of God CeCe Winans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sE5kEnitqE
PRAYER: Oh God, I want to be occupied with gladness of heart (Ecc. 5:20). Don’t let me ever miss your goodness in the land of the living.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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