Hope From Ashes

Read: Psalm 27; Genesis 14:17-24; Philippians 3:17-20

When the Psalmist David pinned the words of Psalm 27:13-14, the circumstances of his life were anything but confident. Most scholars agree that he wrote these words as he hid from King Saul, who was seeking to take his life. The events swirling around him could evoke emotions of fear, doubt and uncertainty. Yet David writes, “I remain confident of this. I will seek the goodness of the Lord and the land of the living.”

David’s unwavering confidence in god’s goodness, despite the challenges and fear he faced, reminds us that faith doesn’t have to rely on our ever-changing circumstances. The Psalmist says, He will see this goodness and the land of the living, not some day, an eternity when this life is over.

But right now, in the middle of his darkest moment, David declares where his light comes from. He is expecting and looking for the light of God’s goodness to break through and the darkness of his present reality. His confidence doesn’t come from the shifting sands of what is happening around him, but rather the bedrock unchanging nature of God’s goodness. No matter how difficult the present may seem, God’s presence is there moving and working.

The Apostle Paul expresses a similar theme. In Romans 8:28, he says this, “and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. for those who are called according to his purpose.” This is one of the bedrock precepts of both the Old and New Testament. God is good. And even in the most difficult things in life, God is working to restore the goodness of creation.

Someone once said, “if it’s not good, God’s not done.” This idea is such a powerful perspective, especially when facing hardships. It shifts our view from despair to anticipation of God’s ultimate restoration work.

Then David goes on to write in verse 14, “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart. Wait for the Lord. In the words of the prophet Tom Petty, “The waiting is the hardest part.”

We live in an instant society. We want what we want, and we want it when we want it. Flip a switch and get a light. Google a question, get an answer. Text a friend, get a response.

The reality of God’s timing is far different from our chronology. God does not move at a frenetic pace, but in the fullness of God’s timing goodness.

So, we wait. Lent is a season of waiting. It’s a time of intentional stillness. When we relinquish our timing to God, a season to sit in the tension between the longing and the fulfillment. We wait with confidence that God is not finished with us or our world. We wait knowing that God’s goodness cannot be stopped. Even in seasons of pain and loss, God is in the business of transforming crucifixions into resurrections. And so, we wait.

Prayer:

God, who is faithful, give us eyes to see the beauty that you are working in this world and the peaceful heart to take comfort in your timing that we might fully know your love through Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.