The Blessing of Psalm 27: Part 2

                                                                    

I often find myself reading the same passage of scripture over and over again when I am going through a trial. There are times when some parts of the Bible seem to not be able get off the page, through my eyes, and into my heart, but other parts of the Bible just reach into the depths of my soul and speak to me with each and every reading. One of the passages that has really helped me immensely is Psalm 27. I am going to make this a series, and as of yet, I don't know how many parts there will be, but I do hope it will be as much of an encouragement to you as it is to me!

 Psalm 27:2-4   When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.  For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Have you ever had a dream that you were being chased?  I have! Sometimes the nightmares of someone chasing me are so real that I practically wake up the household with my yelling in my sleep. It's kind of embarrassing, but at least in my nightmares, I am never caught! Verses 2 and 3 of chapter 27 speak of a great fear--being caught and tortured by an enemy or being outnumbered by an enemy.  Either one of those is a pretty dire situation.

All of us have been in situations in which we feel that we will be overcome, BUT we never have to be overcome if we are on God's side!  No matter how desperate a situation may seem, no matter how discouraged we feel, there is no situation that is too dire for God to handle.  The problem is that we often try to handle spiritually difficult situations on our own.  When we neglect to turn to God's Word for the answers, we will be overcome by the enemy, but when we pick up our Sword and use God's truths, what will happen?

Ahhhh! Verses 4 and 5 are such blessings! If my greatest desire during times of turmoil is to seek after God, He will allow me safe dwelling in His house. In the Near East, when a visitor came into the dwelling of a host, the host became responsible for the provision and protection of the one who dwelt within his tent. God longs to  protect us and hide us when times get rough, but He will not force us to come into his pavilion of protection--God always, always, always allows us to make the choice to trust Him or do it our own way.

In the back of my Bible, I have "Key Bible Promises."  During times of testing, I turn to the promises of God and claim them as my own.

How about this verse that addresses fear:

 1Chr 28:20   Be strong and of good courage and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

How about when we feel we have no hope?
 Ps 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

How about when we don't have peace?
 Ps 119:165 Great peace have they which love Your law: and nothing shall offend them.

Those verses are just samples of God's promises that we can rest in. Isn't it wonderful to know that when we are in the fire of trials and testings, we can turn to God's Word and find comfort, safety, and peace?  God is beckoning us to "come on in"--the choice is up to you!

The Blessing of Psalm 27: Part I

                                                                

I often find myself reading the same passage of scripture over and over again when I am going through a trial. There are times when some parts of the Bible seem to not be able get off the page, through my eyes, and into my heart, but other parts of the Bible just reach into the depths of my soul and speak to me with each and every reading. One of the passages that has really helped me immensely is Psalm 27. I am going to make this a series, and as of yet, I don't know how many parts there will be, but I do hope it will be as much of an encouragement to you as it is to me!

Psalm 27:1  The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

This is the first time in the Bible in which the metaphor "light" is used to explain God. The word "is" is a linking verb, and the word "light" is a noun used to rename or further explain God---God IS light.  We often think of a trial as a dark time. If we draw close to God, who is light, when we are going through a trial, we will benefit from the light God sheds on the issues we deal with; if we pull away from God, who is light, we will go through our trial in darkness. The farther away from God you go, the darker your way will become.  Have you ever been in a situation in which it is so dark that you can't even see your hand in front of your face? I have. A few years ago, our family took a trip to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Our tour guide led us down, down, down into a cavern far below the earth's surface. He led us into an underground room, and when everyone was seated on the benches in the room, he told us that he was going to turn out the lights.  When he did that, the darkness was thick and overwhelming, and no matter how close my hand was to my face, I couldn't make it out. I imagined the Indians that first adventured into the cave system and how they had to totally rely on the torches to light their way.  Without light, they would have gotten lost and died in the maze of tunnels.  God's speaks to us through His word which is His light--"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto  path" (Ps. 119:105).  God sheds light on every issue that we deal with and gives principles to guide each step of the way.

This verse also says that the Lord is my salvation. David, the writer of this Psalm, went through some desperate days when he was being relentlessly pursued by the jealousy crazed King Saul and his men. David did not have an army behind him to fight King Saul; rather, David had to rely on God to be his sole source of salvation.  Although these were fearful times for David, David was confident that God was his salvation. We can place our confidence in God! If you have trusted Christ to be your personal Saviour, then God is on your side, and He will be your salvation when times of trouble come if you draw close to Him.

So often when life's road is seemingly smooth, we can become self-confident. When problems occur, then we run to God.  God's word is never so meaningful as when we are suffering. That's when we realize that the Lord really is the strength of our life. People who do not understand what having a relationship with God is truly about, have often accused Christians of using religion as a crutch. The world has its crutches--alcohol, drugs, intellectualism, science, careers, relationships, etc. The worlds crutches all eventually fail and disappoint and can even lead to bondage, but God will never fail. I praise the Lord that God is my crutch!

During the Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was voted in as president.  During FDR's inaugural speech, he addressed American's fears by stating, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself."  People are fearful by nature. We fear death, financial loss, instability in relationships, poor health, and the list goes on and on. The last statement of verse one says, "Whom shall I fear?" God does not want us to live in fear. Are bad things going to happen? Are trials going to come? Yes, but we can be confident that we are never alone, and that God will be our light, our strength, and our salvation if we trust in Him.