When his F-15E was shot down over Iran, the Weapons Systems Officer was not immediately rescued. He was Injured as he ejected from the aircraft and landed in enemy territory. He was being hunted by the military and civilians, a reward having been offered for his capture. Though the airman was injured, he climbed 7,000 feet up a mountain and hid himself in the cleft of a rock. There are many amazing details about his evasion and rescue. But, the most amazing is the witness of his faith. In spite of all he had been through, and all the danger he was facing, his first message transmission was the simple but profound declaration, “God is good.” From all we’ve heard, this is a man of profound faith. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that he was shot down on Good Friday, and rescued on Easter morning!

His declaration that God is good is found throughout the Psalms. The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible. We find in the Psalms, psalms of complaint, supplication and praise. We can essentially find a Psalm to match whatever we are going through. And, through it all, the Psalms hold a theme of praise throughout. Our circumstances might not be good, but God always it. As we think about this rescued airman, we are reminded of the Psalms like 57 and 142, where David is crying out to God, even as he is hiding from Saul, who seeks his life. In this new series from the book of Psalms, we will focus on the goodness of God. We will, as we read in Psalm 27:4, seek to delight in the Lord’s perfections.