Believe It To See It

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the
LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good
courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the
LORD" (Psalms 27:13-14, KJV).

Many of us over the years were taught that, "seeing is believing".
As result of this, our situations look much like those around us
because it is all we've learned to believe God for. David
understood that one of the most important decisions he could make
in his life was to be selective in what he chose to believe.

As a matter of fact, it was what he believed that kept him from
fainting when he faced seemingly hopeless and impossible situations.
If you were to read the entire 27th Psalms you would find that David
faced some pretty stressful and seemingly hopeless situations. In
this Psalm, he was surrounded by enemies who were committed to
utterly destroying him. However, in the face of all of this, David
was able to maintain his composure and gain the victory by holding
onto what he believed. Lets take a look at what David believed so
that we too may learn the secret to overcoming the things that we
must face.

First, "You must believe that you will see what you've been asking
God for".

No matter how dark and grim the situation may appear, you must
maintain an expectation, that better will come. Better yet, that
it is on its way. Your ability to see what it is that you're
believing God for, allows you to receive it before you see it. As
a matter of fact this is necessary. The text says that David would
have fainted "unless" he had "believed to see" what it was he hoped
for. His belief that he would see something better enabled him to
stand instead of fainting while he was waiting.

Second, "You must know that God's goodness is greater than your
situation"

David's focus was on his problem, but on"the goodness of the Lord".
He proclaimed in Psalms 23, "surely goodness and mercy will follow
me all the days of my life". He was being hunted by his enemies,
while at the same time being shadowed by God's goodness. He didn't
say maybe- but "surely goodness ... will follow me"! Do you believe
this? Even in the midst of your situation? God's goodness may not
keep you from trouble but it will keep you through the trouble.
Your trouble is an opportunity for you to become acquainted with
God's goodness (Ps. 27:5). I never knew how good God was until I
learned to lean on His goodness.

Finally, "You must believe that God wants to bless you now - in
this life".

God wants to bless you now - while you are still alive - here on
earth - today! Too many Believers' expectation of being blessed
is only in the after life in heaven, when they live their life
enduring situations that they should be overcoming. Make no
mistake, Heaven is going to be grand, but God has given you a life
to live here on earth, which includes experiencing His goodness.
Life is not all about suffering, pain, loss and grief. "Life is
your license to experience God's goodness in the land of the
living." That is the here and now!

It is my suspicion that many of you are facing situations that
cause you to feel as if you are about to faint. The problem may
be that you don't believe that you will ever see anything better.
You must develop a conviction that it is God's will that you
experience His goodness in this life. God has not brought you this
far for you to fail. If failure was your outcome, He did not have
to bring you through the last battle that threatened to end it all.
His plan is that you win. He has some goodness for you in this
life. However, you must believe it, in order for you to see it!

By Dr. J.C. Matthews, Senior Pastor of Dunamis Life Ministries and Chancellor of The International Kingdom Institute.