Look for the Light

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”  Psalm 27:13

This is a verse from one of the Psalms that King David wrote probably 1,000 or so years ago.  He was a man who certainly had his share of hardships and disappointments in his life.  Of course, some of those hard times were brought on by his own sin, but he did repent and receive forgiveness from the LORD.  He was known as “a man after God’s heart” because David was never an idolater like many of those before and after him.  Even though he was forgiven, David was still left the with the consequences of his sins.  Not every bad thing that happens to us is some sort of payback for things that we have done.  But sometimes difficult events, like in the case of David, do result from some of the bad choices that we make.  When we truly repent and turn from sin, God forgives us and no longer holds that sin against us.  That is because God is good, all the time.

David wrote that he had almost fainted, but was refreshed because he knew that God was good and was always watching over him.  To us, the term “fainted” means to pass out or lose consciousness.  I have fainted a few times in my life.  I used to have hypodermic needle phobia.  I remember when I was a child, my Dad took me to the doctor’s office, and I received a shot.  We went out into the waiting room and were standing at the window to pay the bill when all of a sudden, I was on the floor.  That is embarrassing, especially in a room full of people.  However, when David used the term “fainted”, he meant that he was about to lose heart or give up.  Probably more of us can identify with that definition than the one with which we are familiar.

At times we all get down when faced with disappointments, hurts, tragedies, loneliness, or fear.  That’s human nature.  The daily grind of life, the rat race as it is called, can bring us to our wit’s end.  The pressures of family, work, school, finances, and pandemics can bring on depression, worries, lethargy, or just a “whatever” attitude.  When things get so overwhelming, we might get to the place where we “can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel”.  This year, more than any other year, has been the most challenging for us in numerous arenas.  There have been events that have occurred in other parts of the world that had little or no effect upon our lives here in the U.S., but this pandemic has affected every single person on earth except maybe for some long lost tribe that has no contact with the outside world.  Now that we all are sufficiently depressed, let’s change the focus.  Let’s concentrate on how good the Lord has been to us.

Sure, many of us have been through some really tough times, but we’re still here.  If we have a family that loves us, a roof over our heads, food to eat, times of leisure and fun, and the ability to earn an income, we are blessed beyond measure.  What about the fact that we can see, walk, talk, and hear?  As far as we know, we are reasonably healthy.  Even folks with health issues have access to the best medical care in the world.  We have good friends who will help us and stand by us.  We’re not in jail, in the hospital, or living under a bridge in a cardboard box.  We are reasonably intelligent, can think and reason and learn new things.  Folks depend on us, and we have the ability to be a blessing to others either through financial means or as someone to lend a hand or lend an ear.  And, most of all, we have the Lord Jesus Christ as our constant companion, so let’s keep our focus on His goodness to us and keep our eyes on the Light.  Also, we are to let the Light of Christ shine in us so that others can see that darkness, disappointment, and drudgery doesn’t have to be a way of life.  You never know but what someone will come to you looking for some answers.