“How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” Psalm 31:19
If you woke up this morning to the reality that nothing has changed in your situation that has left you disappointed, disillusioned, anxious and discouraged, or if the day’s news has left you fearful of the future, I write to you to remind you of these foundational truths:
- God is good (“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good” Psalm 34:8);
- God is love (“for God is love” 1 John 4:8b);
- God is trustworthy (“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you” Psalm 9:10);
- God is kind (“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” Lamentations 3:22).
Any interpretation of God’s dealings which is antithetical to these truths, is false, for God is neither vengeful, nor uncaring, and He is certainly not detached from your reality. Be assured that He is engaged in your circumstances and that He really desires only what is good for you (Psalm 145:9).
It is the human experience that the nature of life lived ‘under heaven’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV) is that, with all the effort you may put into your life with the purpose of bringing you to an expected end, you may suddenly be confronted with challenging circumstances, seeming dead ends, or situations that appear to be contrary to what you consider to be your highest good. You must recognise that in a fallen world in which all humanity must navigate the consequences of sin, you will have your share of difficulties, challenges, even trouble.
It is understandable that when that happens, your dismay may translate into a weakened trust in God and His promises of well-being. But I have encouraging news for you: even in your confusion and dismay, remember what is stated in Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season; A time for every purpose under heaven.” A bad season, a setback, or a disappointment, is not a sentence to a hopeless future.
I must encourage you that if you have allowed the bleak prospect of your future to rob you of faith and confidence in God’s ability to provide needed help, know that you are not the first to have this reaction; after all, we have evidence of similar behaviour and reactions from some heroes of the faith.
In Genesis 42, the patriarch Jacob, who had been given the precious promise of Abraham, found himself in dire straits when he was facing a possible double bereavement after he had already lost one son. After his pain had dulled from losing his son Joseph, whom he believed had been killed by a wild animal, he was faced with the prospect of losing both Benjamin and Simeon. The latter had been taken captive in Egypt to secure the presentation of Benjamin to an unfriendly Egyptian official. Jacob in great distress exclaimed: “Everything is against me!” (Genesis 42:36)
In time however, Jacob discovered that not a single son had been lost to him, but that he had in fact gained two grandchildren in the time when he believed himself to be bereaved. Moreover, his son Joseph had become the instrument by which God was to fulfil His promise to Abraham: that Abraham’s descendants would be in a country where they would be reduced to servitude, but from which they would return to the land of Canaan with many possessions (Genesis 15:13-14). In fulfilment of God’s promise, it was the destiny of Jacob that his son Joseph had to be taken to Egypt in circumstances that would compel him to learn the ways, the language and the culture of Egypt, as well as to be in a position of such authority there as to cause Jacob and all his family to find room in Egypt.
What Jacob thought was great loss, was in fact great gain, and the outworking of God’s promise to Abraham.
Chapter 1 of the Book of Ruth records the story of Naomi, who had lost her husband and children in the foreign land of Moab. She felt bereft of everything dear; thus, did she declare that her name Naomi was unsuited to her abject circumstances, preferring the name Mara which would reflect her bitterness.
What Naomi did not know was that through Ruth, her daughter in law who would later marry Boaz, she would become part of the lineage from which Jesus Christ was born (Ruth’s son Obed who was the son of Boaz, was of the lineage of Judah, was the father of Jesse who became the father of King David, the promised ancestor of Jesus Christ).
Naomi did not know that her great loss was in fact a great blessing which would endure throughout the generations.
Remember that the bottom line is that God is good and He does what is good (Psalm 119:68).
While your dismay and fears over your future (having regard to your present circumstances) may be justified, what you cannot afford to do is to abandon your hope in the goodness of God which combined with faith, will bring about the necessary change and the fulfilment of God’s promised blessings.
In 1776, the poet William Crowper, wrote what has remained a popular hymn (God moves in a mysterious way), through the centuries. The truth of these lines: “Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, the clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break with blessings on your head,” has been tried and tested by generations of believers who have experienced mercy and abundant grace after periods of grave difficulty and trials. The line: “Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face,” has become an anchor for many who in times of distress, have remembered that God’s character of goodness, mercy, kindness and faithfulness, does not fail even in dire times.
Today’s foundational scripture is encouragement for the person who feels left behind, beholding a bleak future because of a setback in a course that should have led to a certain, prosperous future.
In your season of apparent failure, whether you find yourself treading water or whether it seems that your life is going backwards and not forward, remember that Psalm 31:19 provides the assurance that not only are you on God’s mind, but that He has stored up blessings for you, which in due course will come to you, not secretly, but openly: He will pour goodness to you in a manner that will be seen by all.
Psalm 35:27b gives you reason to look beyond the trouble of today to the certainty of God’s promise to do you good, for as that scripture states: “…The Lord … delights in the well-being of his servant.”
Be encouraged that God has stored up goodness for you. In due season, He will pour blessings on you for all to see.
Until then, remember that even though you may be in a seemingly dark place, you are only walking through it and you are not alone; He is right beside you, to bring you out to the other side where His blessings await.
You can trust in His total care.
