Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night. Psalm 92:1-2 NKJV.

This morning in You Are The Beloved, by Henri Nouwen, under the title Everything Good Comes From God, he wrote: “Trusting in the unconditional love of God: that is the way to which Jesus calls us. The more firmly you grasp this, the more readily will you be able to perceive why there is so much suspicion, jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, hatred, violence, and discord in our world.” He went on to write: “If we walk in the light, then we are enabled to acknowledge that everything good, beautiful, and true comes from God and is offered to us in love.”

Why would that be? Because those who don’t trust in God cannot see the light of His love illuminating what is good and beautiful and true. Without His light we dwell in darkness. Without seeing through the eyes of God’s love, we are capable of great darkness. The writer of our psalm, Psalm 79, is lamenting that darkness. Jerusalem has been destroyed and bodies are laying in the streets, v. 1-4. And he asks, How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? v. 5. He asks for God’s wrath on nations that don’t acknowledge Him. Yet Judah didn’t acknowledge God. Their idolatry led them away from the very God they are praying to when all is lost. Away from God. Into darkness. The psalm writer wants God to pay them back seven times, v. 12. Pulling back our perspective to encompass this whole world, and not just this small area of land in that specific time, can we pray to our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit – forgive us, help us because our need for You is great? Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” v. 8-10. One day all nations will want to hear God’s truth illuminating His love and care for all of us. Until that day, we can turn to God in trust and hope now. We can find comfort in His Presence. We can see that the sins of this world are the result of the darkness we harbor within our hearts and we can turn away from that darkness and into the beautiful light of God’s love and help. Everything Good comes from our God and in His love we can bear the darkness knowing it will not last forever. Step out of the darkness and into the illuminating light of God’s love. And in His unconditional love, trust Him. Where else can we go to escape this darkness? Who else offers us this hope? Only our God who loves us.