Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.
Psalm 119:50 (NLT)
There are many certainties in life (things you can count on). We can count on gravity to keep us planted on the earth, rather than just floating out into space. We can count on water to be wet. We can count on the earth to spin. We can count on politicians to call each other names. We can also count on the fact that trouble will happen in our lives.
We live in a sin-filled world. With sin comes trouble and heartache. Because of it, we can count on many things that make life stink. We can count on natural disasters that destroy homes, neighborhoods, and towns. We can count on nation fighting against nation. We can count on friends and family dying. We can count on unspeakable acts of murder, as we’ve seen far too many times. Of course, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other horrible things in this world that we can count on happening, whether we like it or not.
In contrast to our world run-amok (it’s gone crazy), we have one more thing we can count on – God. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And, He always works for our good. This “promise” that the psalmist is talking about is that Jesus promises us that He’ll never leave us. He’s with us. He will save us.
However, we sometimes doubt this promise of God’s. We pray for healing, and it doesn’t happen. We pray for world peace, yet people are killing each other all over the world. Sometimes it seems like God is not keeping His promise. But, we’re missing the point.
Our view of God is far too small. We see the here and now. God sees eternity. When we pray for healing, or any other thing, He is always looking long term. He is more concerned with our salvation than a temporary fix. I can speak from personal experience that the death of my father when I was only 20 years old broke my heart and caused me to question God. A decade later, as I wrestled with Him, God gave me clarity. He said, “Chad, you will see your dad again.” I was mad because I wouldn’t get to see my dad for a few decades. But, God has given me the promise of getting to be with him forever in Heaven. I’d trade for that any day on earth.
When we rest in God’s promise of eternity, the day-to-day troubles begin to fade into the background. His promise brings us comfort. His promise brings us peace.
ChadReisig.org 