PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Psalm 27
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.” (Psalm 27:8)
David is feeling forsaken, abandoned by people close to him, and facing enemies.
In this Psalm he goes to the temple to pray, to plead for God step in and help.
He does not understand why God hasn’t helped yet, but he is confident he will.
His heart is speaking to him, urging him to look to the Lord, not to his troubles.
This is what caught my attention, because I have the tendency to focus on my troubles.
My fears take center stage, and I “gaze on” (v.4) their ugliness or threat.
David has trained his heart through years of praise and prayer to focus on the Lord.
His opening words express his core conviction, and his closing words his core commitment.
In this moment when life doesn’t seem to reflect that confidence, his heart keeps speaking.
What has my heart been trained to say, what does my mind tell me to do when troubled?
The time to build a house is before the storm; when the storm comes we will have shelter.
What I “gaze upon” (v.4) in non-stormy days will be what my heart points to in the storms.
Maybe I need to memorize vv.1-2 and vv.14-15, and imprint them on my heart and mind.
Then “in the day of trouble” (v.5) my heart will speak to me, and direct me toward Jesus!
PRAYER
Lord, in recent storms, I have been gazing on unhelpful things. Today my heart is reminding me that you are my light and life, and that I can take heart, be strong and wait for you! Your face, Lord I will seek!
“Wait for the Lord;be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Like the Psalmist I confess the that Lord is my light and my salvation, yet I too need to be patient and trust the Lord’s timing. I am challenged at times to wait and I am challenged that the Lord’s answer is not necessarily what I want – I need to trust that the Lord knows what I really need and he is faithful and trustworthy. Like David had to wait and he had challenging and threatening situations – sometimes he leaned on his own strength to his detriment – i do the same. Wait for the Lord, wait for the Lord!
Today is the day of our Lord as is every day. I am always in His presence. Where will I see Him this day? He is my shelter. He is the wind beneath my wings. I need to be standing upon the Rock – my sure foundation. All the time I need to be living for Jesus. He will lead me and guide me always. Like Joshua, as for me and my family, we will serve the living God.
Jesus, all for Jesus
All I am and have and ever hope to be
Jesus, all for Jesus
All I am and have and ever hope to be
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands
For it’s only in Your will that I am free
For it’s only in Your will that I am free
Jesus, all for Jesus
All I am and have and ever hope to be