“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 23:13 NIV)
Truth be told, my confidence has been slipping. Not in our God, but maybe in the witness of His goodness upon the earth. Tears keep filling the lens; they flood my view and the world goes murky.
I’m reminded. I’m not looking for the goodness of mankind or even the goodness of this old and dusty world. I’m searching out the goodness of God. I’m on the prowl for His fingerprints. In the past I have found them: in stunning sunsets and out of season blooms, in compassionate smiles and the steady motor-purr of our persian.
Today I need a fresh revelation of the goodness of the Lord right here on earth.
I search through the past pages of my story and I remember how Ann Voskamp’s Thousand Gifts gave light to the path. Her brave pen to paper taught me to identify and tally previously unseen graces. Ann counted her way out of her sorrow and her words led me to do the same.
Today I’m renewing my confidence. God is good, of that I am certain. Eternity will be wondrous, of course; but there are easter eggs of goodness to be sought out and celebrated between now and then. With careful sight, we can discover them and boost our faith in the good things yet to come. There is grace all about us if we’ll only exert the tenacity to see it.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart, wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 NIV)
We can take heart, we can grab hold of strength and courage because He offers Himself to us. The KJV frames it clearly: “and He shall strengthen thine heart”. When we look for the goodness of God in this life: in this breaking, fleeting, dying existence: we find it and we find Him amidst us. We perceive the work of His hands and we worship. Worship pulls Him close. Worship restores our confidence in His ability and intention to redeem all things.
Lord, please help us keep our eyes pealed for Your goodness today. May we see what You have hidden in plain sight. Restore our confidence in Your glory plan; hints of which are planted all over the globe. Let us discover and delight in Your details. Reignite our hope and chase away our grief. Amen.