Hope for the Righteous | Psalm 14

 "For God is with the righteous generation. You would put to death the counsel of the afflicted, but the Lord is His refuge."

Psalm 14:5-6 

 David begins Psalm 14 with an apparently hopeless statement, "There is no one who does good." In verse 1, all the world has seemingly turned aside ... they are corrupt, committing abominable deeds ... there is not even ONE who does good. What a desolate thought. Reminds me of Elijah's heartache in 1 Kings 19:10 ... "The sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left ..."

But hang on, David! As the Lord "looks down from heaven to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God," (v.2) David has an epiphany, declaring, "God is with the righteous generation," (v.5) and "the Lord is his refuge"! (v.6) There is a remnant, just as God reminded Elijah later on in that great man's despair. He was - and we are - part of a righteous generation that God has left alive and it is well and truly living. It might be tiny. It might be hard to find amid this generation of sons of men (just as it was then) who say "there is no God." (v.1) But it is there - hallelujah!

David goes on in v.7 to express his longing for the salvation of Israel. Well - it has come. It has come with a new Kingdom, one that cannot be shaken or crushed. And the spiritual Israel can be glad, for Jesus has already overcome its enemy and WE are living in that age of redemption. What an incredible time to live. The age David hoped for - the age the prophets desired to see - we are the ones privileged to live in it, within the blessings of the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the One who ultimately delivered Israel and reigns now until the end of time. What a truly awesome reality.

And because it is reality, I am encouraged today. I do get fainthearted like David and Elijah. I am tempted often to feel incredibly alone and hopeless. But just as David realized when writing this psalm, that is never completely the case. And because of the power of the Son of God, my life will never be hopeless even in my deepest pain: "for God is with the righteous generation ... the Lord is his refuge." Praise the Lord.

♥