Be Strong! Take Heart!

I remain confident of this:
   I will see the goodness of The Lord
   in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the Lord.
Psalms 27:13-14 (NIV)

I love David because sometimes  I can just feel him as I read. It's as if he is coaching himself up in his faith. 

Did you ever watch John McEnroe play tennis? He was notorious for his rants on the tennis court. He often challenged the umpires decisions and made his disapproval with the call known to anyone who could hear. Once while watching him play and listening to him carry on I noticed the he was, for the most part, talking to himself. Telling himself to "get it together!", "I can't believe you missed that shot!", "come on!" And of course, "You cannot be serious!" It was kind of amusing because I couldn't tell who was winning the argument! I always liked watching him play because he played with such hustle and intensity. He constantly exhorted himself to play better and keep hustling.

When it comes to our faith in Christ as we seek to live it out on a daily basis I think we can take a lesson in self motivation. The deal is that we can't wait around for someone else to motivate or encourage us. Sometimes we need to be like David and remind ourselves of God's goodness and to press on in Christ.

Father, help us to remember your goodness and to be strong and take heart. Praise be to you in us today!