The Hope of Heaven

I have friends who love World of Warcraft. It is a massive, online, multi-player game in which you battle monsters and creatures of every imaginable variety. Starting out in the game, you go to carefully screened areas where the monsters are not going to overwhelm you. If you venture out of these "safe zones," you quickly become overpowered and your online character dies.

Being overwhelmed is part of what gets us down and discouraged. If only they were rare! If only we could stay in certain places in life to make sure we couldn't become overwhelmed. There are no such safe zones.

In fact, discouragements in this life are common--daily, even. The psalms meet us in those discouragements and guide our feelings and experiences in the direction of heaven. I was encouraged today, in the midst of some of my own struggles, in reading the twenty seventh psalm.

Here's what I learned. Despite whatever person or situation you are facing, no matter how severe the struggle, God is your light and salvation. You will see Him face to face before you know it. And in the meantime, no matter what has happened, God has not forgotten. Our remedy is to remember THAT. And to dwell on THESE promises: "He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble." "I shall be lifted up above my enemies." "I will gaze upon the beauty of the LORD." "God will lead me on a level path." "I will see God's goodness face to face."

Can you relate to this? My discouragements so often come by measuring myself and my situation on things I have experienced, or thoughts of my own mind--rather than by measuring them from God's Word. My friend reminded me today: calibrate your calling starting with Jesus, not from your circumstances!

I agree. Let's measure with God's grace, and from that solid fact, "be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!"

What was the belief which supported the psalmist? That he should see the goodness of the Lord. There is nothing like the believing hope of eternal life, the foresights of that glory, and foretastes of those pleasures, to keep us from fainting under all calamities. In the mean time he should be strengthened to bear up under his burdens. Let us look unto the suffering Saviour... (Matthew Henry)