In this text, the phrase “I would have lost heart” is in italics to indicate that it was added by translators; they did so to show the force of the verse. This wording is from the New King James Version; the King James Version and some other translations express a similar thought. Perhaps the New Translation by John Darby portrays the greatest sense of emotion by leaving the verse as a sentence fragment: “Unless I had believed to see the goodness of Jehovah in the land of the living …!” It is as if the psalmist can scarcely imagine the outcome. “If I had not believed in the goodness of Jehovah—oh! What then?”

As we stand in the doorway that leads us out of the old year and into the new, perhaps there is much that resonates with us in this verse. Perhaps there were many times this past year when we started to lose heart. Or it might be that the coming year has very few encouraging prospects, and thus even today we are losing heart as we look ahead. David the psalmist has stood where we stand. He recognized that, if one final support had been removed, he too would have lost heart. But he also saw the unyielding strength of that final support, which is faith in the goodness of the Lord.

Moreover, he had faith that he would see the goodness of the Lord. This is a mindset that requires vigilance, but it is always rewarded. If we are predisposed to notice the difficulties of the way, we will easily discover them—and, with them, despair. But if we expect to see the Lord’s goodness, we will soon start to recognize His good hand in every situation. His grace abounds, and His goodness and mercy have been following us all the days of our lives. Let us enter the new year as those who will bear witness to the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.