The Goodness of God in the Land of the Living

The Lord is good, and his mercy endures forever, stands as the first word against every storm, every ugly report, and every devil lie. That confession refuses to let trouble become lord over the mouth. Jesus says earthly parents know how to give good gifts, so the heavenly Father has much more good ready for his children. Psalm 27 says the soul would have fainted, quit, and gave up unless faith expected to see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

Moses asks to see God’s glory, and God answers by causing all his goodness to pass before him. The cleft of the rock points straight to Christ, because access to glory, presence, and goodness comes by being hidden in the Rock. John 10:10 draws the line clear. The thief steals, kills, and destroys, but Jesus came that life, the God kind of life, might be received and experienced right here, right now.

Psalm 27 does not say if the wicked come. Psalm 27 says when the wicked come, when foes come to eat up flesh, they stumble and fall. The Lord is light, salvation, and the strength of life, so fear has no right to run the house. Satan may huff and puff, but the house does not have to fall, because faith resists the devil and stands in the living God.

“One thing have I desired” becomes the Holy Ghost waking desire back up. Colossians 3 says affection has to be set above, not chained to earth stuff as the main thing. The house of the Lord is the presence of God, and the presence is loaded with healing, deliverance, provision, peace of mind, glory, and goodness. The goodness is like that secret sauce, not a tiny dab, but soaked, saturated, baptized all over life.

Ephesians 3:20 says God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that is asked or thought. Mark 11 says the mouth cannot stay silent by default while mountains stand there acting big. The lunchbox image says the believer is already carrying glory and goodness, but the box has to be opened in praise and faith. Psalm 23 says the table is prepared in the presence of enemies, and those same enemies have to watch goodness, mercy, oil, overflow, and restoration show up.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Goodness belongs in the living Psalm 27 does not push God’s goodness into some far-off “pie in the sky” future. Faith expects the goodness of God in the land of the living, right in the body, family, finances, marriage, and daily life. The devil tries to make delay feel final, but hope keeps saying the Father’s goodness will prevail in the circumstance. [05:19]
• 2. The thief is not God John 10:10 separates the work of the thief from the work of Jesus with no confusion. Stealing, killing, and destroying do not reveal the Father’s heart, because Christ comes bringing life, not loss. Discernment begins when the soul stops blaming God for what the thief has done and starts receiving the God kind of life Jesus came to give. [09:54]
• 3. Desire wakes up under fire Psalm 27 moves from enemies and war into “one thing have I desired,” because pressure exposes what the heart is really seeking. Coldness and lukewarmness can settle in when battles wear the soul down, but the Spirit wakes up holy hunger again. Desire gets aimed back toward the house of the Lord, where presence becomes the place of strength, beauty, and inquiry. [24:17]
• 4. The lunchbox must be opened The image of the lunchbox says God has already placed treasure, glory, and goodness within the earthen vessel. Starving while carrying provision is a picture of unopened faith, unspoken praise, and unused access. When praise cracks it open, the Spirit turns what looked small into a banquet table prepared by the Lord himself. [46:03]
• 5. Goodness follows and catches up Psalm 23 does not merely put goodness in front of the believer, it sends goodness and mercy following all the days of life. The soul can pause long enough to let that mercy catch up instead of running in panic from the enemy. The table, the oil, the overflowing cup, and the Father’s house all say the end of the story belongs to goodness. [53:16]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:26] - The Lord Is Good
• [05:19] - Expect Goodness Now
• [07:09] - Moses Sees God’s Goodness
• [09:54] - The Thief Is Not God
• [14:22] - Psalm 27 And Fearless Faith
• [17:07] - Don’t Be Shell Shocked
• [21:11] - Confidence When War Rises
• [24:17] - One Thing Desired
• [29:09] - Dwelling In The House
• [32:33] - Presence, Glory, And Goodness
• [38:52] - Exceedingly Abundantly Above
• [42:20] - Speak To The Mountain
• [46:03] - Open The Lunchbox
• [51:32] - Laughing At The Devil

Bible Reading

Psalm 27:13
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!” [00:05:19]

John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” [00:09:54]

Psalm 23:6
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” [00:53:16]

Exodus 33:19
“And he said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name “The LORD.” And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.’” [00:07:09]

Ephesians 3:20
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” [00:38:52]

Mark 11:23
“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” [00:42:20]

Colossians 3:1-2
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” [00:29:09]

Observation questions

1. In Psalm 27, what words are used to describe the Lord in relation to fear and strength, and what happens when the wicked come near? [00:14:22]
2. In John 10:10, what clear difference is drawn between the thief and Jesus?
3. In Exodus 33:19, what does God cause to pass before Moses when Moses asks to see His glory? [00:07:09]
4. In Colossians 3:1-2, what are believers told to seek and set their minds on, and what are they told not to center on? [00:29:09]

Interpretation questions

1. Psalm 27:13 says the goodness of the Lord is to be seen “in the land of the living.” How does that shape the way a believer thinks about God’s help in present-day struggles, not just in eternity? [00:05:19]
2. John 10:10 separates the thief’s work from Jesus’ work. Why is that distinction so important when a person is walking through loss, pain, or confusion? [00:09:54]
3. Moses was shown God’s goodness while hidden in the rock. How does that picture help explain why God’s goodness, glory, and presence are received through Christ? [00:07:43]
4. Ephesians 3:20 says God is able to do above all that is asked or thought, and Mark 11:23 speaks about saying to the mountain. How do faith, expectation, and speaking work together here? [00:42:20]

Application questions

1. What storm, ugly report, or discouraging situation has been trying to become “lord” over the mouth lately? What would it look like this week to answer it with, “The Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever”? [00:02:26]
2. Where has it been hardest lately to expect the goodness of God in the land of the living—in the body, family, marriage, finances, or peace of mind? What has made hope difficult there? [00:11:39]
3. The thief steals, kills, and destroys, but Jesus brings life. Has there been a place where blame, confusion, or disappointment has made it hard to see that clearly? What changes when the heart stops calling the thief’s work God’s will? [00:09:25]
4. “One thing have I desired” speaks to holy hunger waking back up. Has spiritual desire felt strong, weak, or buried under pressure lately? What tends to cool that desire off, and what helps stir it again? [00:24:34]
5. The house of the Lord is the place of presence, and the presence is full of healing, deliverance, provision, and peace. What simple practices help a person actually dwell there during an ordinary week? [00:32:42]
6. The lunchbox picture says a believer can carry goodness and still live like there is nothing there. What might “opening the lunchbox” look like in a real situation right now—praise, thanksgiving, speaking the Word, asking boldly, or something else? [00:46:03]
7. Psalm 23 says goodness and mercy follow all the days of life. Has life felt so rushed or pressured lately that there has been no pause to notice that? What would it look like to slow down and let mercy catch up? [00:53:59]