Today I am reading from Psalm 27 written by David in the Old Testament.
It says,
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life.
Whom should I dread?
When evil doers came against me to devour my flesh,
kind of intense,
my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.
Though an army deploys against me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Though a war breaks out against me,
I will still be confident.
I don't know about you guys,
but I've never faced any situations
quite as dire as David is describing here.
Things that he's come up against
and the Lord has delivered him from.
But when I face things like maybe my car breaks down
after a long week,
or I feel like I just can't get things right as a parent,
or we're, you know,
in a facing financial struggle,
whatever it may be,
I tend to feel a little bit of despair.
It's really easy for me to feel hopeless.
But look at how David responds later.
Scholars actually say in this passage
that he is fleeing for his life.
He is on the run from King Saul and Saul's army.
Yet, this is what he declares.
He says,
I am certain that I will see the Lord's goodness
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord, be strong,
and let your heart be courageous.
Wait for the Lord.
And then I'm sure so many of us
can think of a time or think of many times
that we've seen his faithfulness,
that we've seen his goodness.
And yet it's so easy to be filled with worry or anxiety
when we think about the future.
And so I just want to pray for us
as we go into this time of worship together
that we would be reminded,
reminded of all the times that we've seen God provide,
that we've seen him answer the prayers that we've prayed,
or protect us from things,
and even times that we've gone through.
We've gone through hard things,
but we've been filled with a piece
that surpasses understanding,
that that would fill us with a confidence
and a hope for the future,
that instead of meeting whatever our darkest fear
of the future is,
that we would be met with the goodness of the Lord
in the days to come.
So let's pray together,
then let's spend a few moments just meditating
on the character of God and the goodness of the Lord.
God, we just thank you that we have a hope
that is not built on wishful thinking, Lord,
but it is built on the unshakable,
unchanging character of who you are.
God, I thank you for all the times
I can look back on in my life
and say, only God could have done that.
I thank you for the fact that you're working even now.
And so God, as we worship you,
we pray that you would be blessed,
that your heart would be blessed.
We also pray that you would meet us with your presence.
And as you do that, Lord, that we would be filled
with just a fresh wind in our sails,
a fresh encouragement.
We thank you for the gift of your presence, Lord.
It's our portion and our prize today.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you.
I'll see the goodness of the Lord.
Mountains, valleys, every season I go through,
I fear no evil,
cause I can always count on you.
And when the day of travel comes,
I know where my help comes from.
I'm still confident of this.
You are the stronghold of my life.
I've never been forsaken.
You have been faithful all this time.
You're constant and I'm changing.
Today, tomorrow, and forevermore, I know.
I'll see the goodness of the Lord.
The goodness of the Lord.
I'm gonna see it.
So take heart, my soul, my God is in control.
Be still and know my God is on the throne.
Take heart, my soul, my God is in control.
Be still and know my God is on the throne.
Take heart, my soul, my God is in control.
Be still and know my God is on the throne.
And I'll see the goodness of the Lord.
In the land of the living.
I'll see the goodness of the Lord.
In the land of the living.
Cause you are the stronghold of my life.
I've never been forsaken.
You have been faithful all this time.
Constant and unchanging.
Today, tomorrow, and forevermore, I know.
I'll see the goodness of the Lord.
That's all I've seen, Lord.
That's all I've seen, Your goodness.
We can't wait and expect in the light.
We can't trust and take heart in the light.
We can't wait and expect in the light.
We can't trust and take heart in the light.
You can't wait and expect in the light.
You can't trust and rely on the light.
You can't wait and expect in the light.
You can't trust and take heart in the light.
You don't need to fear, cause you can't wait on expecting the light.
You can't trust and rely on the Lord, cause He's so good.
So I will wait and expect in the light.
I can't wait and take heart in the light.
I will fear no evil.
I fear no evil.
You've defeated it all.
I fear no evil.
You've defeated it all.
I fear no evil.
I won't fear an evil.
Cause you've defeated it all.
Why would I worry?
You've defeated it all.
I remember your goodness.
I remember your kindness.
You remember your promise.
And I've never been forsaken.
I remember your goodness.
I remember your kindness.
You remember your promise.
And I've never been forsaken.
Never forsaken.
I'm never forsaken.
Even on my worst day in the world.
I'm never forsaken.
Even when I fail.
I'm never forsaken.
Even when I fall short.
I know.
I'm never forsaken.
Oh no.
Cause you are the stronghold of my life.
I've never been forsaken.
You have been faithful all this time.
You're constant and unchanging.
Today and tomorrow.
And forever and more.
I know.
I'll see the goodness of the Lord.
Written all over my life.
I've seen the goodness of the light.
All the days of my life.
I've seen the goodness of the light.
From the time I was a boy.
I've seen the goodness.
Too many times to count the Lord.
Keep pouring it out, girl.
You keep pouring it out, girl.
Goodness and mercy.
Everywhere I turn, Lord.
Goodness and mercy.
Goodness and mercy, Lord.
Goodness and mercy.
That's who you are.
I would have lost hope.
Had I not believed.
That I see your goodness.
Following me.
But now I have hope.
Because I believe.
That I'll see your goodness.
Following me.
I wouldn't have lost hope.
Had I not believed.
Goodness and mercy.
Following me.
But now I have hope.
Because I believe.
That I'll see your goodness.
Following me.
Morning, evening.
Day by day with every breath.
Your loving kindness.
Walks with me with every step.
Sure as the rising sun.
Steady when darkness comes.
I am confident in this.
God, you're so good to us.
I'm just overwhelmed thinking about all the things that I've seen you do.
All the ways that I've seen you work in my life. In my family's life. In my kids life.
My friends life.
I'm filled with hope today.
Thank you for reminding us. Thank you for always being faithful to remind us when we ask.
So Lord let this time be an altar of sorts for us to remember.
That we will see your goodness.
And I promise that Lord that's not something that you break.
It's not something you forget. But we can hang our hope on it today.
So I pray for anyone watching this, spending this time with us.
That they would just be filled up with the hope and the joy.
And not the kind that the world can emulate Lord.
But the kind that doesn't make sense.
That cannot be shaken. That cannot be taken away.
Because you are the same yesterday and today forever.
Amen.