“I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness
in the exuberant earth.
Stay with God!
Take heart. Don’t quit.
I’ll say it again:
Stay with God.”
Psalm 27:13-15
I’ve always wanted to be the cool-under-pressure-chill guy. The reality is that, I’m way too easily excited, easy to read, and even when I’m presenting my most confident self—my inside man is screaming. At the end of Psalm 27 when David leads with the line, “I’m sure…” or as some translations say, “I’m confident in this…” everything within me instantly responds, “How?”
Throughout Psalm 27 David makes emotionally charged yet confident statements like, “When I’m besieged I’m calm as a baby - when all hell breaks loose I’m confident and cool.” (v3) David lived with a truth and perspective that changed my life: he knew that no matter what life threw at him nothing and no one could stop him with God on his side. David prioritized the presence of God. In the midst of chaos, uncertainty, and war—internally and externally—David asked one thing, “I’m asking God for one thing, to live with Him in His house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate his beauty, I’ll study at His feet” (v4).
The reason why David was able to couple honest and vulnerable realities with hope and confidence was because his security was found in one thing, the presence of God. Psalm 27 beautifully ends with a declaration, “I’m sure I’ll see God’s goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again: stay with God" (v13-15). God is speaking those words directly to our hearts today. I know that it’s often easier to run away and hide, but it’s transformative to stay and live within His presence. When we stay with Him, make His presence our first response instead of our last resort, then we can live with the confidence that brings forth His wonder and glory in our everyday lives.
Joey Carranza
Dear God, Today I commit to staying with you. Forgive me for wandering away from your presence where the power to live confidently and freely comes from. I won’t quit declaring your strength and faithfulness when times get hard. I am confident that I will see your goodness in my life. Amen.
