“I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
– Psalm 27:13-14

After years of therapy, one develops the understanding that if you want something to change, you can’t wait around on other people to do it for you. You have to do it yourself.

As such, one of my favorite things is the sticker I have from some military group that says, “Prepare to self-extract, no one is coming.”

It implies that you’re pinned down in enemy territory and there will be no backup. You have to fight your way out if you mean to live.

Life feels like that all the time. I think that’s why I love Psalm 27, but especially these verses.

To me, these are some of the most comforting words in the entire Old Testament. I can’t count the number of times that I have sent this verse to people who were going through things, or that I have whispered them to myself when I thought I just wasn’t going to make it in a given situation.

While it may seem open ended, this is such a powerful implied promise. “Stay put. Help is coming.”

“You’re going to make it and you’ll be rewarded, I won’t let it kill you.“

So we sit in enemy territory, eyes to the sky, because our backup is on the way. We will return to the land of the living. It’s a military metaphor, but it’s a real life experience, especially in this world full of darkness and pain and despair and trial. It makes the whole rest of the psalm that we’ve studied mean so much more to read these words.

He will hide us in his tent, he will lift us high on a rock, our enemies and foes will stumble and fall.

You will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Be strong and take heart. Wait for the Lord. ❤️