May 14

Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD. — Ps 4:6 BSB

The cry of the Church has always been, “Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.” You may often feel as if you are walking in the very shadow of death, and say with Heman, “I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength” (Psalm 88:4). Yet, those very feelings of death—the coldness in your heart, the chill of despair—cause you to long for the appearance of the One who is the Resurrection and the Life. In just a moment, He can whisper, “Fear not; I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18).

You may at times be overwhelmed with unbelief, feeling as though no heart has ever been so filled with doubt, so unable to trust, as yours. But even this deep conviction of unbelief—revealed by the Spirit’s work in showing us our own sin (John 16:9)—only makes you long more for the living faith of which Christ Himself is not only the Object but the Author and Finisher. You may also experience moments of sinking despair about both your present and future state, but these moments make you crave a good hope through grace, an anchor for the soul that is both sure and steadfast.

At times, you may feel the guilt and overwhelming power of sin. Yet, these feelings only make you long more fervently for manifestations of God’s pardon and peace, and for the assurance that sin will no longer have dominion over you. “The mouth of the Lord has spoken” that sooner or later, you shall receive every needed blessing. The valley you feel yourself to be in shall be lifted up, the mountains and hills made low, the crooked paths straightened, and the rough places made smooth. Your eyes shall see the glory of the Lord. Christ shall become precious to your heart, and when He comes, He will reveal Himself to you as your Lord and your God.

And so, you continue to hang on, to hope, and to look upward until He appears. For your heart continues to say, “None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good.”