Had I not believed...

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 (AMP)

How are you feeling today? What are your circumstances like right now? Are you living in peace or struggling with despair? Are you hopeful for the future, or do you find yourself anxiously wondering what lies ahead?

Let’s take a moment to consider despair. The dictionary defines it as losing or giving up hope—a truly desperate and heartbreaking place to be. Have you ever found yourself there, feeling utterly hopeless? It’s a condition none of us wish to face, yet it’s the reality for so many.

Statistics surrounding suicide and the widespread use of anti-depression and anti-anxiety medications paint a stark picture of despair's prevalence in our world. While worry and anxiety touch all of us at some point, complete hopelessness remains rare. Why is that?

Hope.

Could hope be interwoven into our very DNA by our Creator? Consider the timeless proverbs we cling to in moments of trial: “Tomorrow the sun will shine again.” “Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” “It’s always darkest before the dawn.” These affirmations reflect the integral role hope plays in the human experience.

Defined as an optimistic state of mind grounded in an expectation of positive outcomes, hope sustains us. But Psalm 27:13 reveals something even deeper:

I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Notice that the author’s confidence didn’t stem solely from hope—it came from belief. Hope waits, uncertain of outcomes. But belief speaks with boldness and certainty.

The psalmist, likely King David, was unwavering in his knowledge of who God is—sovereign over his circumstances and all creation.

Paul echoes this in Colossians 1:15-18, proclaiming:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

This passage reveals the true majesty of God—not an ornament or artwork, but the Creator and Sustainer of all. David understood this deeply, and it’s why he could declare that his belief, not just hope, prevented him from despair.

David believed in God’s sovereignty, His supreme power, and His goodness promised not only for eternity but also for life here in the land of the living.

As believers, we must reflect on the distinction between hope and belief. Have we inadvertently reduced God’s promises to wishful thinking? Have we lost the unwavering trust that every word of Scripture is God-breathed, and that Jesus is Lord?

Let us return to our first love (Revelation 2:4)—to the faith that proclaims every promise in God’s Word as YES and AMEN (2 Corinthians 1:20). Let’s reject the world’s attempts to dilute the supremacy of God and His promises.

Even when the world seems chaotic, let us hold fast to this truth: we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. God’s Word has spoken it, and that, my dear friends, settles it.