Today's Psalm: Psalm 27 & John 8:12

I've never been a patient person... patience has never been a virtue I could claim. If you're anything like me than we really need to park here in Psalm 27 to discover David's secrets to waiting on God. I found several truths we can hang onto while waiting...

1.) Believers have no reason to fear while waiting:

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besieges me, my heart will not fear though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. - Psalm 27:1-3

With God as our light and salvation, what is there to fear? When God is the stronghold of our lives there is no reason to fear. One of the great marks of a truly believer is that they do not fear people. Not so with those who don’t know God, stress and anxiety are often the number one cause of illnesses.

When we spend time in the presence of the Almighty, circumstances and others seem so insignificant and we begin to desire His approval, His protection, His peace above all else.

2.) Believers can be confident while waiting:

…though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident. – Psalm 27:4b

The closer we stick to God and the more we remain in His word, the more confident we will become even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

3.) Believers have access to Almighty God:

One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple. - Psalm 27:4

David allows us to see the desire of his heart. What he greatly longs for is to dwell in the house of the Yahweh. He wants to be there not just for a few hours, days, or months, but he wants to dwell in the house for all eternity.

We know that because of Jesus and all He has done on our behalf we now have been given access to Almighty God. Being in the house of God allows us to behold His beauty,  but also we can seek instructions from God, obtain wisdom, and most importantly, learn God’s will for our lives.

4.) Believers are kept safe and protected.

For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock. – Psalm 27:5

 I thought it was interesting in this verse that God not only shelters David, but sets him high upon a rock. I had to think on that for a bit. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, but the bottom line is, He will keep us safe, and how comforting is that?

5.) Believers are set above others to give Him glory and praise:

Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord. – Psalm 27:6

When we think of God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love, it should drive us to praise Him even more. We can’t even begin comprehend all the ways God works in our lives, and this one fact should fill our hearts with thankfulness and cause us to praise Him!

6.) Believers should wholeheartedly seek Him:

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help…
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living. – Psalm 27:7-13 (emphasis mine)

(To be honest, this is probably my favorite part of the whole psalm, for I can’t tell you how many, many times I have prayed verse 8 back to Him.)

Beloved, we must continually seek to develop a closer relationship with God and this is achieved through prayer. I truly believe David wouldn’t be called a man after God’s own heart if he wasn’t praying constantly, for it would be impossible to develop a close relationship with God without praying, or even sitting quietly in His presence listening.

7.) Believers can be assured that God will never leave them, nor forsake them.

Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me.

Others may, including our own family, may turn on us, but we can trust God never will. I think this verse in Hebrews 13:5 nails it!

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] (AMPC)

8.) Waiting on God builds our faith in Him.

Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord! – Psalm 27:14

Stop & Reflect:

 Psalm 27 has always been one of my favorite psalms for these reasons, but how about you?

Have I missed something?

What are the lessons that you can share with us?

Let’s Pray:

Holy Father, You are the Light that is full of goodness. Your mercies are renewed everyday. You cause the sun to shine on both the righteous and the wicked. You are the light of the world, and our salvation. In You, we are rescued from despair, anxiety, and this cruel world. There is nothing we need fear, for you are with us in every moment. O Father, My heart says to You, Your face, Lord, I will seek for I long to be know as a woman after your own heart.  Forgive me for my inadequacies and shortcomings.  O Lord, You are my rock and redeemer. You are my comforter during times of stress. You save me from the empty void and the temptations of worldly pleasure. Teach me your ways and lead me on a level path. You are a lamp to my feet. You guide and direct me. Keep me on your perfect path. Help me always to look to and lean on You when I am called to wait upon You, Lord. 

Blessings,