As I spoke with a friend who had just learned that his cancer had returned, I commented on his remarkably upbeat attitude. He responded by saying that the Lord always gives His people the inner strength they need to face each trial. My friend likened what the Lord was doing in his life to a car owner who makes sure that the tires have enough air pressure to enable them to carry a heavy load and roll safely over big bumps on the highway. He expects the Lord to give him exactly what he needs to face each test until He brings him safely Home.

This wonderful assurance is enjoyed by believers who live in obedience to the Lord. In Psalm 41, David said that the person who "considers the poor" is blessed with the awareness of the Lord's presence in his time of illness (vv.1-3). In verse 12, David referred to his integrity as he spoke of his confident anticipation of God's future blessing. Was he saying that his kindness and integrity earned God's favor? No. David saw himself as a sinner in need of God's gracious forgiveness (v.4). But his awareness of God's presence now and his assurance about the future were tied to his obedience to the Lord.

Godly conduct does not earn God's favor, but it does give us a foretaste of heaven in the here and now.  — Herbert Vander Lugt