Sermon snippet – The Goodness of the LORD in the Land of the living
INTRODUCTION – In Psalm 27:13-14, David says in part, “I had fainted, unless I believed in the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” I am prone to passing out (and I sometimes end up prone), but David’s language is even stronger: he would have lost all hope if not for God’s present goodness. The logic is compelling: how can we trust in the eternal goodness of God if we have no evidence? Ah, but we do! Psalm 107:2a says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,” and this entire psalm provides a framework for giving thanks.
- REDEMPTION ITSELF
The context of verse 2 is rescue from Babylon, a bitter enemy of God’s people in Israel. Our greatest enemy is sin, but through faith in Jesus we are “redeemed.” Psalm 32:1 proclaims, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” It was right here in this church, in the third pew from the back, where I received Jesus’ salvation as a little boy. This redemption is the foundation of my life. Let each of us give thanks for our salvation.
- FELLOWSHIP
Verse 4 speaks of overwhelming solitariness. We all know that feeling, including the loneliness of loss. I think of a sad song from the Civil War that laments, “We will meet, but we will miss him. There will be one vacant chair.” I remember Elijah, who thought that he was the only believer left, but he found that there were 7,000 faithful ones in Israel (I Kings 19:18). When I first attended college, I knew real loneliness – and God placed a senior named the Reverend Mike Walker right across the hallway! Jesus Himself said in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” May we all remember how Jesus has helped us in our loneliest moments.
- GUIDANCE
Verse 7 tells us of God’s “right way” and how He leads us into that straight, clearly defined way (compare Matthew 7:13-14). When I was a young man, I managed the loan department of a bank and was about to be promoted to assistant vice president. I was just twenty-four, but God had better plans for me as a teacher and a pastor. Let us rejoice with Paul, who wrote, “O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33a).
- THE WORD OF GOD
Verse 11 and 20 both remind us of the transformative power of God’s Word. As a youngster, I learned numerous verses (memorization was easier then, if I remember correctly). One was Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ [Who] strengtheneth me.” How empowering! What a lifetime of encouragement from just that one sentence! May we marvel that God speaks so clearly to us.
- HEALING
Verses 14 and 20-21 assure us that the omnipotent hand of God rests upon His people. I have not (as far as I know) experienced miraculous healing myself, but twice I have been with families who were told that a loved one would die before the next morning. Both recovered and lived years, and the doctors admitted that they had no medical reasons for these remarkable recoveries. May we cherish each miracle of healing.
- SONGS
Verse 22 speaks of “joyful singing” (New American Standard Version). Job 35:10 states, “[God] giveth songs in the night.” One Christmas night, I received a call from a lady whose brother was overwhelmingly depressed. I knew that he loved hymns and took three hymnals as I quickly traveled to their home. We sang for hours, and he finally joined in. I encouraged him to sing whenever he felt the darkness of depression descend upon him. Later, the sister told me that she could often hear him singing when he had trouble sleeping. Psalm 149:5b kindly commands, “Let them sing aloud upon their beds.” Let us sing the songs that our God has graciously given us.
- PEACE
Verses 29-30 provide the solace of God’s peace. Jesus said in John 14:27a, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you. Years ago, when my wife was undergoing serious emergency surgery, I experienced such peace that I worked on – and completed – the next Sunday’s sermon. Let us rest in this peace.
- SAFE TRAVEL
Verse 30 points to “their desired haven.” They just wanted to get home! Years ago, when I was racing competitively, I traveled to Monmouth and actually won a major race. On the way home, the car began to hiccup and buck – and I had a funeral to officiate that afternoon. After many miles, the car began to run normally on its own. It may seen to be a small thing, but let us be grateful each time we arrive somewhere safely.
- WORSHIP SERVICES
Verse 32 underscores the importance of worship. The memories of past times of worship are sustaining. Think of just last week, when a little girl was baptized. I recall one cold January morning when very few (even for our little church) were in attendance. Surely nothing special would happen then – but that was the day that Debbie’s mom was saved. She soon found that she had terminal cancer, but she was ready for eternity. May we find real joy in the memories associated with the gatherings of God’s people.
- ANY UNEXPECTED BLESSING
Verse 38 speaks of God’s unique blessings. My wife said, “I do” (although, for those of you who remember our wedding thirty-seven years ago, it took her an uncomfortable couple of minutes to get the words out; someone has said, let us hope humorously, that “I do” is the longest sentence in the English language). Let us always be ready to thank God for any blessing.
CONCLUSION – Let us close by going back to Psalm 27:13-14. Note that we are instructed to “wait.” We are impatient (certainly in comparison to God). However, because He does not change, we can be confident that His goodnesses will continue now and forever. He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving.