Hope In God's Goodness

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13 (NKJV)

There was a time when someone spoke Psalm 27:13 over me, praying “that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.” Not just someday in heaven. Not just once I was free from the pain of this world. Here. In the middle of the brokenness I was drowning in.

At the time, I couldn’t receive it. I couldn’t even imagine it. I believed in God’s goodness … for other people. For the ones whose prayers seemed to get answers, whose lives looked stitched together. But not for me. The absence of joy felt like a final verdict in my life, and all I could see was sorrow. Hopelessness kept me stuck, rooted in despair.

Hannah knew that kind of sorrow too. We see in 1 Samuel 1 how she longed for a child, but year after year, her womb remained closed. In her anguish, she poured out her soul before the Lord - weeping bitterly, praying silently. But Hannah kept showing up. She believed, even in her pain, that she would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. And in time, she did. She gave birth to Samuel, who would become one of Israel’s greatest prophets.

In fact, Samuel anointed King David, whose words in Psalm 27 echo Hannah’s story. She could have let the silence of unanswered prayers convince her that God had forgotten her. But instead she clung to hope. And she witnessed God’s goodness.

Hope can feel fragile when life is loud with pain. Sometimes it seems safer to brace ourselves for disappointment than to believe God’s goodness might actually break through in our lifetime, in our story, in our ache.

Maybe, like me, you’ve found yourself in that gray space where it feels like hope has packed its bags and moved on without you. You still whisper prayers, or maybe even shout, but heaven seems to hold its breath. You hear others testifying to answered prayers and overflowing blessings, and you quietly wonder, What about me?

Psalm 27:13 offers a lifeline: “I would have despaired had I not believed …”

What did David believe? That goodness was coming. Not just in eternity but here. On this side of heaven. God is not done. This chapter isn’t the whole story.

It’s not easy to cling to hope sometimes. But even if you’re in a season of silence or sorrow, may this be a sacred moment of trust, an act of gentle defiance against despair. May you dare to believe, even with trembling hands, that goodness is still chasing you down. Even now. Especially now.

Lord, when my heart feels thin and hope feels far away, steady me again with the promise of Your goodness. Remind me, like You reminded Hannah, that You see every silent prayer and every hidden ache. Help me cling to You with quiet courage, believing I will see Your goodness. Lift my eyes, strengthen my spirit, and let hope rise again. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

- Tabitha Yates

Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"

Don't Let Disappointment Define Your Year

“… but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

The holidays come with a lot of expectations. This can be a glaring reminder of all that hasn’t changed in the past 365 days - and I’ll raise my hand first to say I’m walking into this season with a lot of unmet expectations in tow.

Between the busyness of the season, shopping for gifts, and trying to finish all of our work before taking time off, it's hard to find time to process the unfulfilled dreams we may have had for this time of year.

Which leaves room for hopelessness to creep in.

Maybe you thought this year you’d have someone to bring home with you.

Maybe you thought you’d get to share a pregnancy announcement.

Maybe you thought you’d be over that particular struggle or you'd have something new and noteworthy to share at the family dinner table.

But Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that we can still have hope in the midst of disappointment: “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

When we put our hope “in the LORD” and not in our circumstances, we don’t have to let disappointments define our whole year. Every year can be marked by hope in the midst of what has been hard.

Hope in the Lord is the best kind of hope. The kind we don’t have to be afraid of letting us down. The kind that doesn’t make us embarrassed, disappointed, or ashamed. Rather, it helps us run the race of life God has gifted us with. And we don’t have to stay weary in the waiting; the Lord gives us strength for each step.

We need the hope of Christmas this year more than ever. Not in the Hallmark-y, happy-ending sort of way but for the real reason we celebrate: Our Savior came and is coming again soon. And that’s worth putting all our hope in.

Let’s define our years with hope. The hope of life to come. The hope of something so much better than what’s right in front of us that we can’t even wrap our minds around it. The hope that strengthens us day by day.

God, I come to You weary, worn, and waiting. This time of year often reminds me of what I wish were different about my life. Show me how to still be hopeful about what has not happened yet. At the same time, help me find gratitude for where I am today. Teach me to define my year not by what I don’t have but by what You have given me: Jesus. In the meantime, help me to love it here. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

- Meghan Ryan Asbury
Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"