It’s hard not to get caught up in a moment. I think part of the curse is that we are short-sighted, finite beings. So whether the moment is joyful or painful, it’s usually all we see.

And Now, The Rest Of The Story
A couple nights ago, Katie and I were watching a movie called Lars and the Real Girl, which we both thought was absolutely amazing. But, were we to watch only specific parts, or even to stop halfway through, there would be confusion, distaste, and maybe even anger toward the filmmakers. How could they let that happen? But when you finish the movie it all makes sense.

In Psalm 27, David gets it. He knows that he has to finish the end of the story. In fact, David already knows how the story will end, he just needs to remind himself.

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”

When things are hard we tend to narrow our view way down, and in that moment we think that God has abandoned us, that He is playing this cosmic joke, and we usually get angry. If only we had the sense to zoom out and see the whole story. God has seen us through hard times before, and God will see us through hard times again. Why would this moment be any different?

We have to remember to be strong and take courage, for we will see the goodness of the Lord.