The Lord's goodness here and now

What, what would have become of me had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.  Psalm 27:13-14

If we do not CHOOSE [it is an active, constant and continuous choosing] to live with an attitude of faith, we will be crushed by life's circumstances & pressed down upon by each of the devil's malingering whisperings.  There is so much power in this passage!  

It is all about how we wait - we must choose to boldly and confidently put all our hope and trust in God, knowing He has promised to be with us wherever we go - whatever situation, including the storms that sometimes rage inside our own minds.  He is always there.  We should never lose heart or grow weary because God Himself is the one who sustains us & carries us.  It is important to note that if we are trying to get by on our own power, we will tire quickly, and growing frustrated we will melt inside and wither in defeat. 

But the battle is the LORD's, we need only be still and stand firm in His Word - the Truth of His excellent promises - and we will see His deliverance *through* all of our storms... Yes, though I walk through the dark, sunless valley of the shadow of death, You are with me... THROUGH - not around.  Even as we go through life's trials, we can be sure God's goodness and mercy will prevail and give Him praise in the meantime.  And as we seek after Him with all our hearts, we are assured His loving-kindness will relentlessly pursue us all the days of our lives here, here and NOW, in the land of the living!  

So, yes, as the Word urges, we should wait - patiently and with glad and joyful hearts filled and sustained by the peace and joy of Christ... And hope - putting all our trust and faith in God, knowing He is love & will not fail or even disappoint us in any way because He is true, just and right in all He does... And expect - confidently expect our Redeemer, our Deliverer, our Awesome and Almighty Heavenly Father to honor His Word...

And He will strengthen our hearts within us as we go beyond what we feel, beyond what we see in the natural & what our circumstances are telling us, beyond what our thoughts are saying and CHOOSE to cling to, stand on and hold fast to all the beautiful and blessed promises we have in God's Word.  

And by this *even in the midst* we will have the GRACE to declare with Job, "You have granted me life and favor." (Job 10:12)  We will know without any doubt that God will be good to us out of His great and unfailing love for us *as* we humbly submit to and seek after Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls - turning all of our lives over in complete surrender to His ultimate authority, living in obedience to His Word and His commands in our day to day lives.



© K. Michelle Payne 2015