When The Sun Shines


Day 123 (Psalms 26-32)

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed/That I would see the goodness of the Lord/In the land of the living”.(27:13)

David had several occasions in his life to doubt God’s goodness in the land of the living.(He looks back and heaves a sigh of relief that in spite of the the odds he did not disbelieve God). Here are a few of such occasions:

1.Athough he was innocent, King Saul chased him to kill him. He had to live hiding in caves and mountains.

2.David lifted up his voice and wept until he had no more power to weep.(1 Samuel 30:4).That was the occasion when he saw that Ziklag was burnt by the Amalekites and his wives, sons and daughters were taken captives along with all their possessions. And then the people who were with him spoke of stoning him to death.

3.David had to flee from his palace in Jerusalem when his own son Absalom led a coup to overthrow him.

4.When ,out of his total commitment to God, David was mightly prepared to build a temple in Jerusalem, God stops him saying “You shall not build a house for My name”.(1 Chro.22:8)

David found no goodness in man, anywhere in the land of the living, but trusted in the goodness of the Lord.

It is in the background of such bitter experiences in life that David testifies:

“ It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man”.(Psalms 118:8).

We may also confront similar situations in our lives. David tells us, when we know we are innocent and yet others accuse us and look at us with suspicion, when unexpected losses occur, when we face unwholesome reactions from our own children or other dear ones, never doubt God’s goodness.

When the clouds clear and the sun shines, we will have occasion to deeply regret, if we ever doubted God in our distress. David cautions us.

George Joseph Trivandrum