Do you believe with certainty?

“I am confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13).

Yesterday, during the Wednesday prayer meeting, I received a joyful message—the gospel, the message of the power of the gospel—through the senior pastor of our church (text: Romans 1:16-17). As I received that message, two thoughts came to mind. One of those is that while this world brings us sorrow, the Lord gives us joy through the gospel. That is why we Christians can rejoice even in the tears that the world causes—because of Jesus Christ. Every time we remember Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection, we cannot help but rejoice because of the grace of salvation that the Lord has given us.

After the Wednesday prayer meeting, I was reading Psalms 26–31 in the pastoral room, preparing for Thursday’s early morning prayer meeting. While reading Psalm 27:3 and 11 in English, I paused to meditate. The reason I reflected on these two verses is that they both repeatedly use the word “confident.” In the Korean Bible, verse 3 says, “Even then will I be confident” (나는 여전히 태연하리로다), and verse 13 is translated as “I am still confident of this” (확실히 믿었도다). The lesson I learned from meditating on these two verses is this: ‘Those who believe with certainty that they will see God’s goodness can remain calm even in the midst of crisis.’

Looking at the context of Psalm 27, the psalmist David was facing a crisis. This crisis involved “wicked men” (v. 2), “enemies” or “adversaries” (vv. 2, 6, 11), and an “army” opposing David (v. 3). These adversaries surrounded David as if encamped around him in battle (v. 3), closing in on him (v. 6). They were false witnesses and evildoers (v. 12). They rose up to attack David (v. 12). Despite this threatening situation, David held on to a confident belief—that he would see the goodness of God in the land of the living (v. 13). Because of this sure faith, David was not afraid (v. 1). Not only was his heart unafraid, but he was still confident (v. 3). And he asked God for one thing: “One thing I have asked from the Lord… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple” (v. 4). Furthermore, David joyfully offered sacrifices in God’s tabernacle, sang, and praised God (v. 6). He cried out loudly to God (v. 7), sought the Lord’s face (v. 8), and proclaimed to his soul: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (v. 14).

For us Christians, a crisis is an opportunity. What kind of opportunity? It is a precious opportunity to see God’s goodness. What is the goodness of God that we will see in the midst of a crisis? I have thought of six aspects.

First, the goodness of God that we will see in the midst of a crisis is God’s protection.

Look at Psalm 27:5:
“The Lord will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.”
God protected David in the day of trouble (v. 5). He protected him secretly and hid him in the secret place of His tent (v. 5).

During a major crisis in my life, God led me to frequently listen to an American gospel song called “Hide Me in the Shelter.” The lyrics include:
“Under the shadow of your wings, here in the secret place of your holiness... And keep me in the shadow of your wings, safe in the secret place of holiness…”
Every night, after leaving the hospital and driving home from the ICU where my first baby, Ju-young, was lying, I listened to that gospel song. This was because I earnestly wanted God to safely protect Ju-young in that holy, secret place of God. Indeed, a crisis is a good opportunity to experience God’s protection.

Second, the goodness of God that we will see in the midst of a crisis is God’s exaltation.

Look at the latter half of Psalm 27:5 and the first half of verse 6:
“…He will set me high upon a rock; now my head will be exalted above my enemies who surround me…”
God placed David high upon a rock even in the midst of his crisis (v. 5b). In other words, God exalted David above his enemies who surrounded him (v. 6a).

One lesson God taught me during difficult times in my life is that it is far better to be exalted by God than by people. And to be exalted by God, one must first humble oneself before God and others. In other words, when we humble ourselves before God and people, God will exalt us in His timing (see Philippians 2:5-11).
A crisis is an opportunity because God uses it to humble us. Also, a crisis is a good opportunity for God to exalt us.

Third, the goodness of God that we will see in the midst of crisis is God’s answering of prayer.

Look at Psalm 27:7:
“O Lord, when I cry aloud, answer me; when I call, do not hide your face from me.”
When David’s enemies’ armies camped to attack him (verse 3) and surrounded him (verse 6), David cried out loudly to God (verse 7). His cry was focused on one thing (verse 4). That one thing was his desire to live in the house of the Lord all his life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to seek Him in His temple (verse 4). Thus, David’s plea narrowed down to one thing amid many crises.

When we face severe crises in life, it seems our petitions also become simpler. Instead of asking God for many things, like David, our burdened hearts swell with the longing to dwell in God’s house. Therefore, in hope of the eternal kingdom, we yearn for the Lord even more. In the despair caused by crisis, the Lord makes us hope in Him and also yearn for Him. The Lord causes us to cry out earnestly to God through the crisis. Moreover, crisis allows us to experience God answering our prayers. It not only causes our hearts to dwell in God’s eternal house but also to behold God’s beauty amid the ugliness of this world. Therefore, crisis is an opportunity to cry out to God and also a good opportunity to receive God’s answered prayers.

Fourth, the goodness of God that we will see in the midst of crisis is God’s help.

Look at Psalm 27:9:
“Do not hide your face from me; do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not abandon me or forsake me, O God my Savior.”
In the crisis David faced, he cried out to God and also recalled God’s help from past to present (verse 9). This was because he was confident that the God who had helped him before would help him now. He believed that “my helper,” “God my Savior,” would not abandon or forsake him, but would help and save him (verse 9).

A crisis plants uncertainty in our hearts. The uncertain situation of a crisis shakes our hearts, sometimes even shaking them to the root. However, through the crisis, the Lord who sets us upon a solid rock rather gives us great assurance in our hearts through that crisis. That great assurance is that “God, my Savior,” will surely help me and rescue (save) me. Through the crisis, we can meet God, who is our helper. Indeed, a crisis is a good opportunity to deeply experience God’s help.

Fifth, the goodness of God that we will see in the midst of crisis is God’s reception.

Look at Psalm 27:10:
“Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”
When David was surrounded on all sides by his enemies and adversaries, he firmly believed that the Lord would receive him. Even if no one else would receive him, he was sure that only the Lord would receive him.

Even when we are in extreme suffering and crisis, like Job, when “my brothers” (Job 19:13), “my relatives” (“close kin”) (verse 14), or “my servants” (verse 16), “my close friends” (verse 19), and even “my wife hates my breath, and my own children despise me” (verse 17), still, like David, we must have a sure faith that the Lord receives us (Psalm 27:10). The Lord never forsakes us. The Lord never leaves us. In fact, our Lord not only cannot forsake us but also cannot leave us. We learn this truth clearly through crisis. Therefore, a crisis is a good opportunity to experience God’s reception.

Finally, sixth, the goodness of God that we will see in the midst of crisis is God’s guidance.

Look at Psalm 27:11:
“Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my enemies.”
David, in a situation where he was at a crossroads between life and death because of his enemies, prayed to God—who receives him and answers his prayers—to lead him on a “straight path” (v. 11). In other words, David prayed to God to guide him on the right path even at this critical crossroads of life or death. He also asked the Lord to teach him “your way” (v. 11).

Isn’t that interesting? Even in such a crisis, he prayed to be taught the Lord’s way and to be led on the right path. Usually, we might pray for an escape route or ask God to show us how to get out of that life-or-death crossroads, but David prayed for God to lead him by His way and on the right path. Perhaps the crises in our lives are good opportunities to learn the Lord’s way. Maybe when problems are camped on all sides—east, west, south, and north—it is a good chance to long for the path that leads upward. Looking to the Lord and following Him in the journey of faith, a crisis may be a wonderful opportunity to dramatically experience the Lord’s guidance, who is the way of life. A crisis is a good opportunity to experience how the Lord, our Shepherd, leads us to green pastures, beside still waters, and along the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:2-3).

For us Christians, a crisis is an opportunity. For those who firmly believe that even in crisis they will see God’s goodness, a crisis is a good opportunity to see God’s protection, God’s exaltation, God’s answer to prayer, God’s help, God’s reception, and God’s guidance. We do not miss this good opportunity but pray earnestly to God in the midst of crisis, expecting and waiting for God’s answer to prayer. Even in situations that could cause fear, we strengthen and courageously wait. We wait calmly with a firm faith in God. Those who firmly believe they will see God’s goodness remain calm even in crises.

“Be still, and know that I am God...” (46:10).

Wishing you to live with firm faith toward the Lord,

Pastor James Kim
[“Taste and see that the LORD is good” (34:8)]