Psalm 27 has been speaking deeply to me in this season of my life. David begins by saying, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
What a reminder that our strength doesn’t come from our circumstances, our finances or from having all the answers in front of us. Our strength comes from the Lord.
Then verse 13 says, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” That verse really stood out to me, especially the words, “I had fainted.” I think there are times when we become so overwhelmed and exhausted by what we are walking through that we feel like we have nothing left. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. We pray, we wait, we believe, and sometimes it feels like we are being attacked from every side while we are waiting for the very thing we have been praying for.
Honestly, that is where I am right now. Things have not been easy, even financially, and there have been moments when I have wanted to stay in bed rather than face the uncertainties of another day. But this morning, I was reminded that faith isn’t believing because we can see the answer. Faith is believing in what we cannot see and trusting God even when we don’t understand what He is doing.
As Christians, God sometimes asks us to follow Him in ways that are uncomfortable. He may put something on our hearts and ask us to step forward without showing us every detail of what comes next. That is where we have to trust Him. And when we become tired, God doesn’t condemn us for having moments when we feel like fainting. Instead, He tells us to wait on Him. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
I love that David says “wait” twice. Maybe because sometimes we need to hear it more than once. Waiting doesn’t mean that we never struggle. It doesn’t mean we never have mornings when we don’t want to get out of bed. Sometimes waiting and trusting God simply means getting up, putting one foot in front of the other, and choosing to believe that His goodness is still there.
This morning, God reminded me of that goodness in such a simple way. I was washing my son’s clothes and thinking about how much I love summertime with our family. Summer at our house means swimming, being outside, watching my son enjoy his garden, and summer vacations. School has started back now, so summer is slowly coming to an end, but as I looked outside, I realized there was still so much life around me- even though I feel empty inside.
My sons garden is now overgrown and not producing, it is mostly covered with weeds now, but I still see beauty. As I look out I see my giant elephant ears, the plants my grandmother gave me years ago. They have grown so big that my backyard feels like a little jungle, and I love it. When I float in the pool and look over at those plants, I think about my grandmother and her green thumb. I remember how she would spend countless hours working so hard in her yard and because of her hard work, her yard bloomed with beauty. Something as simple as those plants reminds me that there is still goodness around me, even in a season that feels difficult or uncertain. Even when we don’t feel like we are blooming inside, God is still allowing our beauty to shine for others around us as we keep on for Him.
Psalm 27:11 also says, “Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path.” I have been praying for direction and answers, and that verse reminded me that I can ask God to teach me His way and lead me on a plain path. He doesn’t have to make everything understandable to us, but He is good enough to guide us and give us the direction we need and the peace of knowing that He is still there.
And then verse 4 says, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord… to behold the beauty of the Lord.” I think that should be one of the greatest desires of our hearts—to dwell with the Lord and behold His beauty. When we stay close to Him, He reminds us of the things He has already brought us through. He helps us see the reflections of His goodness that are still all around us, even while we are waiting for the next answer. While we are holding on by a thread.
So if you are feeling like I am today—tired, overwhelmed, uncertain, or simply in need of mercy, grace, strength, and help—don’t hide your face from the Lord. Run to Him. Dwell with Him. Ask Him to teach you His way and lead you on a plain path. You may feel like you are fainting, but you are not forgotten.
Keep waiting. Keep trusting. Keep believing. And look around you for the goodness of God that is still present, even in the middle of the uncertainty. Because the same God who has carried you before is still carrying you now, and we can believe that we will yet see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.