“I HAD BELIEVED THAT I WOULD SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD…” -{Psalm 27:13}

What are You Believing To See?”

I’ve been in or near bed for 19 days now with my painful, debilitating illness, exhausted at times and I’ve been hanging out in Psalm 27:13 for days now, and in His kindness, the LORD encouraging and delighting in His Word, reading and meditating on it, and sharing some of that with the last few daily devotionals. And I got an opportunity to share a principle from it …

 Recently one of my grandsons came to my open bedroom door and lay on the floor with only his head peeking around the corner into my room from the stairs, to say “goodbye.” It was near the end of the day and he came to see me before he left to go home. I  called him in to give him a hug and as he ran towards me I looked at his face and he seemed a little downcast. I noticed he was a little sad as he embraced me. I asked him if he was a little sad, and he replied he was and told me why. I told him sometimes I too get sad, but I reminded him to think about the GOOD things that had happened to him earlier that day and I began to name some. All of a sudden from laying on my shoulder he lifted his head away and stood straight with a BIG SMILE. What had happened? He RECALLED to his MIND the GOOD THINGS… so you and I can learn, at times we too may be sad but we must trust the LORD to train our minds to REMEMBER the GOODNESS of the LORD to us. This we do as we RENEW our Minds with His Word, to THINK Right about Him as fuel for us to TRUST Him in the present difficulties. Nehemiah in the midst of conflict told the people “REMEMBER THE LORD who is Great and Awesome…”-{Nehemiah 4:14}. Paul told young Timothy “REMEMBER JESUS CHRIST RAISED FROM THE DEAD…” -{2 Timothy 2:8}.

So often we can remember what we should forget and we forget what we should remember namely the LORD and His Goodness. Sometimes we just need to REMIND one another…. and this we can do and lift the downcast of heart as they recall- God’s good dealings with and to them!

With a Little Help From My Friends…

So, it was so good to see and help my little grandson CHANGE THE FOCUS OF HIS THINKING and remember and count the “good” things that had come his way earlier in the day and name them one by one, and all of a sudden to see him turn from the sadness to joy and a change in countenance as he recounted the good things. So we too must help one another, count our many blessings, indeed name them one by one as fuel for our faith, hope, joy, and praise to Him who is Good and works ALL things together for good!- {Read Psalm 119:68, Rom 8:28-29}. So we too can encourage ourselves but also together mutually encourage one another! And it often begins with CHANGING THE FOCUS OF OUR THINKING and REMEMBER THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD to inspire trust in Him to continue His GOODNESS to us.

So, like the Psalmist in the midst of sadness, and troubles, must REMEMBER… the LORD and His goodness to us…RECOUNT them….and…confidently speak this truth to yourself and indeed to OTHERS  that based on His Character and Word you both…

“BELIEVE TO SEE” The GOODNESS OF THE LORD in the land of the Living!

God Bless,

Aidan.