SCRIPTURE: Psalm 27
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. [Psalm 27:4-5]
David expresses amazing confidence in the Lord; even if he was being attacked by a whole army, he wouldn’t be afraid.
WOW, amazing faith, or just plain stupid?
We do know that David struggled with fear on other occasions (see Psalm 55:1-8].
So how can he be so confident here?
I believe that David is building his faith in the good times, so that he is ready for the bad times.
His deepest desire is to be close to the Lord, to see Him and rest in Him.
He knows that being with the Lord will secure him for the day of trouble – whether it is an army, or whatever else.
By putting the Lord first every day, he is ready for the storms of life.
Makes me think of the wise man who builds his life on the rock: Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. [Matthew 7:24-25]
David says, set me high upon a rock; Jesus says, its foundation on the rock.
By seeking the Lord first (as David expresses here, and as Jesus says earlier in Sermon on the Mount [Matthew 6:33], we strengthen ourselves for future battles.
Even if an army attacks us, or our parents fail us, we will have a solid bond to the Lord that will keep us strong and enable us to stand firm.
Too many people neglect their spiritual life until tough times come, then they scramble and struggle to survive, and often blame God for failing them.
But the wise man doesn’t wait until the storm before he starts building his house; and he doesn’t build it on a weak foundation.
Psalm 27 is a good Psalm to read and to imitate, in order to strengthen us now for future tough times.
To say what David says repeatedly is to build our faith.
It doesn’t mean that the storms won’t be hard, it doesn’t mean that we won’t have moments of doubt or fear.
But overall, our bond with the Lord will be too strong for the storms to dislodge it.
Don’t wait for the storm to seek the Lord, invest in your relationship with Him now, so that when the storm comes…
PRAYER:
Lord, I want to seek You today, now, while the day is OK…
This psalm reminds me of a wise man.
Be a wise man. Remember the wise men in the NT? They were ‘SonSeekers.’ I too need to be a ‘SonSeeker’ and talk with my God so that He will lead me and guide me in my trials and lead me in the Way I must go like He did with the wise men of old.
Today God Is First so that as I live this day I am in His presence. I deliberately started the day with the Lord and He ‘colours’ my day because He leads me and guides me in the way I should go. I have surrendered my will to His will and He will lead me and teach me. Therefore I can take heart as I seek His face, His way, His directives as I live his day for Him, and with Him. And He has given His Spirit to encourage me on my way. As His disciples walked and talked with their Master, so I too must be a wise man and walk and talk with my Master.
When we walk with the Lord
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When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.