Do you believe for sure?

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.” (Psalms 27:13)

                Yesterday, during the Wednesday prayer meeting, I received the powerful message of the good news, the gospel, through the retired pastor of our church (Text: Rom. 1:16-17).  When I received the message, I came to think of two things.  One of those two things is that this world gives us sorrow, but the Lord gives us joy through the gospel.  That is why we can rejoice even in the tears.  Every time we think of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have to rejoice because of the grace of salvation that the Lord has given us.  I was reading Psalms chapters 26-31 for the Thursday morning prayer meeting in my church office after I finished the Wednesday prayer meeting.  Then, while reading Psalms 27:3 and 11 in English, I paused and meditated.  In particular, the reason I meditate on those two verses is because there are words that are repeated in those verses. The word is “confident”.  In verse 3 says "even then will I be confident" and verse 13 says "I am still confident of this."  This is the lesson I have learned from meditating on these two verses: 'He who believes that he will see the goodness of God can be confident in the midst of a crisis.'

In the context of Psalms 27, we can see that the psalmist David was facing a crisis.  The crisis was a situation where “evildoers” (v. 2), “enemies” (vv. 2, 6, 11) and “a host” (v. 3) were opposing David (v. 3).  In particular, his enemies surrounded David (v. 6) as if they were encamping everywhere in war (v. 3).  They were false witnesses who breathed out violence (v. 12).  It was a crisis of those adversaries who rose up to attack David (v. 12).  Even in such a crisis, David certainly believed.  It was that he would see God's goodness in the land of the living (v. 13).  David was not afraid because of this sure faith (v. 1).  Not only was he not afraid, but he was still confident (v. 3).  And he asked God for one thing: “…  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” (v. 4).  Furthermore, David offered in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy, and sang praises to God (v. 6).  He cried out with his voice (v. 7).  He sought the Lord's face (v. 8).  And David declared to his soul: “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD” (v. 14).

                A crisis is an opportunity for us Christians.  What kind of opportunity is it?  It is a precious opportunity to see God's goodness.  What is God's goodness that we will see in crisis?  I thought about six things:

First, God's goodness that we will see in crisis is God's protection.

Look at Psalms 27:5 – “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.”  God protected David on the day of trouble (v. 5).  He concealed him in His tabernacle, in the secret place of His tent He hided him (v. 5).

There was an gospel song which God made me enjoy listening in the midst of the great crisis in my life.  That gospel song is “Hide me in the shelter”.  When we look at the lyrics of the song, this is what it says: “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 when I had my first baby, Charis lying down in the intensive care unit, and came out of the hospital to drive to the house, I listened to this gospel song.  The reason was because I desperately wanted God to keep Charis safe in  His holy and secret place.  The crisis certainly is a great opportunity to experience God's protection

            Second, God's goodness that we will see in crisis is God’s exaltation.

Look at Psalms 27:5b-6a: “…  He will lift me up on a rock.  And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me ….”  God lifted David on a rock in the midst of the crisis (v. 5).  In other words, God exalted David above his enemies who were around him (v. 6).

One of the lessons that God has taught me during the difficult times of my life is that ‘It is better to be exalted by God than to be exalted by people.’  And in order to be exalted by God, we have to humble ourselves before God and people.  In other words, when we humble ourselves before God and people, God will exalt us (cf. Phil. 2:5-11).  Crisis is an opportunity because God humbles us through crisis.  Also crisis is a good opportunity for God to exalt us.

Third, God's goodness that we will see in crisis is God’s answers of our prayers.

Look at Psalms 27:7 – “Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me.”  David cried with his voice to God (v. 7) when the host encamped encamped against him (v. 3) and surrounded him (v. 6).  His cry was one (v. 4).  One thing was to live in the house of God for the rest of his life, looking to the beauty of God and meditating in His temple (v. 4).  In this way, David's supplication was narrowed down to one in the midst of many crises.

When we face the extreme crisis of life, our supplication seems to be more simplified.  Rather than asking God for this and that, our difficult heart is buoyed up with the desire to live in God's house like David.  Therefore, we desire the Lord even more in the hope of everlasting kingdom.  During the despair caused by the crisis, the Lord rather makes us to hope and to desire the Lord.  The Lord makes us cry out to God through crisis.  Not only that, crisis also allows us to experience God’s answer of our prayers.  Not only does our heart dwell in the eternal house of God, but it also allows us to see the beauty of God in the ugliness of this world.  Therefore, crisis is the opportunity to cry out to God and the good opportunity to receive God’s answers of our prayers.

            Fourth, God's goodness that we will see in crisis is God’s help.

Look at Psalms 27:9 – “Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!”  In the midst of the crisis he faced, David cried out to God and recalled God's help in helping him from the past to the present (v. 9).  This was because he was convinced that God, who helped in the past, would help in the present.  And he believed that “God my Savior,” who is “my helper” not only wouldn’t forsake him, but also would help him to save him (v. 9).

Crisis creates uncertainty in our hearts.  The uncertain situation of crisis can shake the root of our hearts.  However, through the crisis, the Lord who makes us to stand on the solid rock gives us great confidence in Him.  That great confidence is that “God of my salvation” certainly will help me and will rescue (saves) me.  Through crisis, we can meet God, our helper.  Crisis is a great opportunity to experience God's help deeply.

            Fifth, God's goodness that we will see in crisis is God’s reception.

Look at Psalms 27:10 – “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.”  David was confident that the Lord would receive him when he was surrounded by his enemies everywhere.  Although no one would receive him, he believed that the Lord alone would receive him alone.

Even when we are in extreme hardships and crises, where “my brothers” are alienated from us (Job 19:13),  or “my kinsmen” have gone away (v. 14) or “my servant” doesn’t answer us (v. 16), or all “my intimate friends” detest us (v. 19), or even our breath is offensive to “my wife” (v. 17), we must like David have sure faith that God will receive us no matter what (Ps. 27:10).  The Lord never forsakes us.  He never leaves us.  Actually our Lord not only cannot forsake us, but also he cannot leave us.  We are sure to learn this through the crisis.  Therefore, crisis is the good opportunity to experience God's reception.

Sixth and last, God's goodness that we will see in crisis is God’s guidance.

Look at Psalms 27:11 – “Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.”  David cried out to God, who received him and answered his prayers, to lead him to the straight path at the crossroads of life and death (v. 11).  In fact, David asked God to guide him to the straight path even in the point of life and death.  And he asked the Lord to teach him “your way” (v. 11).

Isn't it interesting to ask God to teach him and guide him to the straight path in the midst of such crisis.  If we were in David’s situation, we would pray to teach us the way out or show us how to get out of the way of life and death situation.  But David asked God to lead him to the Lord's way and the straight path.  Perhaps the crisis in our life is a good opportunity to learn the Lord's way.  Perhaps the time when the problems of east and west and north and south are encamping is a good opportunity to long for the way forward to heaven.  Crisis can be the great opportunity to dramatically experience the Lord's guidance as the way of life, as we look to Him and follow Him in our journey of faith.  Crisis is the great opportunity to experience the Shepherd Lord leading us to green pastures, quiet waters, and the paths of righteousness (23:2-3).

                Crisis is the opportunity for us.  Crisis is the great opportunity to see God's protection, God's exaltation, God's answers of our prayers, God's help, God's reception, and God's guidance for those who believe in God's goodness even in times of crisis.  We shouldn’t miss this great opportunity, but must earnestly pray to God even in the midst of crisis and expect and wait for God to answer our prayers.  Even in situations where we may be afraid enough, we should wait with strong and bold heart.  We should wait God confidently in faith.  Anyone who believes that he will see God's goodness in this way is confident in the midst of a crisis.

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

Wanting to live with firm faith in the Lord,

James Kim

[“Taste and see that the Lord is good  …”(34:8)]