Saturday, April 4, 2015
Friday, August 22, 2014
SIH’s Think On These Things: Psalms 27:14
As we will see in our series, King David addresses many of the same issues that each and every one of us faces when we are in the midst of the most difficult, fearful situations of life. May the Lord honor this study in His Word, by granting to us the truths of this Psalm and their practical application to our life.
EXPOSITION:
In our text for today, David concludes his Psalm on dealing with the fearful times of our lives. Keep in mind that, so far, we have seen:
- David’s confidence in the Lord (vs 1-3)
- David’s desire of the Lord (vs 4-5)
- David’s praise of the Lord (vs 6)
- David’s request for God’s presence (vs 7-11)
- David’s request for deliverance from his enemies (vs 12)
- David’s motivation to persevere in the midst of his difficulties (vs 13)
Now, in this final section of the Psalm, David reaches out to each one of us with words of encouragement as we, too, face the fearful times of our lives.
David’s words of encouragement to others…
Psalms 27:14 “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
David encourages us to do two things in times of hardship, opposition, and fear:
“Wait on the LORD:
First of all, David instructs us to “wait on the Lord”. The word “wait” comes to us from a Hebrew word that means “to collect hopefully” or “to gather together expectantly”. The idea David is expressing to us is the need to collect:
1. our needs
2. truths about His person and work
3. His promises to us.
Then, based upon this “collection”, wait for Him expectantly.
In other words, when we understand who He is and what He can do for us, then we become aware of His great promises of care, protection and enablement that He gives to us, we can confidently expect our needs to be met.
be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart:
Secondly, David encourages us to “be of good courage”.
This can only be done if we are waiting upon Him. In other words, because we are expecting the Lord to intervene on our behalf, then we can take control of our fears and put them aside. There is nothing to fear, He will step in and meet our every need. Perhaps this will be by taking the situation from us, or perhaps, it will be by standing with us in the midst of the trial. In either case, we can boldly face the fearful times, knowing He is with us.
wait, I say, on the LORD.”
David in summary, emphasizes the need to “Wait on the Lord”
APPLICATION:
Folks may we always learn to wait upon the Lord in times of trials. In doing so, we are submitting to His will for our lives, allowing Him to intervene without our interference, and standing boldly against our opposition through His gracious enablement.
“A Song of degrees. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants [look] unto the hand of their masters, [and] as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes [wait] upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” (Psalms 123:1-2)
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Thursday, August 21, 2014
SIH’s Think On These Things: Psalms 27:13
As we will see in our series, King David addresses many of the same issues that each and every one of us faces when we are in the midst of the most difficult, fearful situations of life. May the Lord honor this study in His Word, by granting to us the truths of this Psalm and their practical application to our life.
EXPOSITION:
In our text for today, David now helps us to understand the source of his strength in the midst of the fearful times of his life… Psa 27:13 KJV I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
I had fainted,
In this part of David’s psalm, we can see his acknowledging that, without Christ, he cannot stand in the fearful times of his life. It is of utmost importance for each of us to recognize our weakness during times of opposition. In doing so, we will be more careful to look to the Lord and rely upon Him and remember His gracious workings in times past…
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and [why] art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him [for] the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. [Yet] the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song [shall be] with me, [and] my prayer unto the God of my life.” (Psalms 42:5-8)
unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
David’s great source of encouragement and strength was founded in his belief that the Lord will continue to bless him during his time of heartache and fear. The “goodness of the Lord” describes the Lord’s workings whereby He mercifully works: 1. in a pleasing, delightful fashion 2. in a merciful fashion 3. bringing about that which is beneficial David believed the Lord would show him mercy, work on his behalf, and in doing so, bring joy to David’s heart. This is what kept David going in the midst of such horrific trials.
APPLICATION:
Folks, as we go about our day and face the trials and fears that may come our way, let’s remember that we are a needy people. Our greatest need is for the Lord’s loving intervention in our lives. May we look to Him in faith, remembering His past deliverances in our lives, and trust Him for His continuing watch care over us. Then we can allow the Lord’s perspective blessings on our behalf encourage, strengthen and give us boldness as we face the difficult situations of life.
“And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou [art but] a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered [it] out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught [him] by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” (1 Samuel 17:32-37)
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Wednesday, August 20, 2014
SIH’s Think On These Things: Psalms 27:12
As we will see in our series, King David addresses many of the same issues that each and every one of us faces when we are in the midst of the most difficult, fearful situations of life. May the Lord honor this study in His Word, by granting to us the truths of this Psalm and their practical application to our life.
EXPOSITION:
In our text for today, David now continues his prayer, coming before the Lord with his requests…
Psa 27:12 KJV Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:
Another way to describe David’s request of the Lord is …“Do not hand me over to the selfish desires of my enemies” In this request we can learn at least two different principles:
First of all, David recognized that the Lord was the One with the ultimate control of his life. He was under the Lord’s control and, therefore, the only way David would become a victim to his enemies would be it his Lord allowed it to be so (the Lord “delivering” him to his enemies).
Secondly, David recognized that his enemies desires were based upon selfishness. The Hebrew word translated “will” describes the natural, carnal will of man that is greedy, selfish, and demands satiation. This selfish will of fallen man is in direct opposition to the will of His Lord who, due to His great love for us, He only works for our benefit and His glory.
If we put these two truths together, David could rest assured that, if he fell into the hands of his enemies, His Lord would have to allow it to take place for David’s benefit.
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
David describes his enemies in two different ways: First of all, David describes them as “false witnesses”. In other words, they were men who lied about David’s deeds and motivations. David loved the Lord and sought to serve Him with his life, but was pictured as an evildoer who was motivated by selfish interests.
Secondly, David describes them as “such as breathe out cruelty” This description teaches us that the enemies of David were cruel by nature, naturally being hateful, unforgiving and abusive to all that were around them.
Can you imagine what these people were like? They were mean people motivated by selfishness. Their only concern was themselves and would go to any lengths to secure benefits for themselves. Probably all of us have run across people that were similar to these people.
However, the enemies in David’s day were thirsting for his blood, desiring to take his life. For us today, normally, those who are abusive around us will not desire nor attempt to kill us.
APPLICATION:
What can we learn about dealing with the fearful times of life from this devotional? Well, first of all we need to always remember that, if we are one of the Lord’s, we can rest assured we are secure in His hands. No one can take our salvation from us, nor can they remove us from His sovereign control in all areas of our lives.
Because of this we can rest assured that NO evil will befall us unless it is for our good and His glory.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand.” (John 10:28-29)
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Secondly, those who would oppose us and wish us harm are, in actuality, helping us to remember how blessed we are as the people of God. The slight discomfort we might feel when we are being opposed by others is a small taste of what it would be like if the Lord we served a selfish tyrant.
However, thanks be to our Lord, we serve a gracious, loving, kind, and merciful Lord that only desires the best for His people… and brings the best to pass everyday of our lives. What a wonderful Lord we serve! When we think of these things, it helps us to realize that we do not have things as bad as we may sometimes think!
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Tuesday, August 19, 2014
SIH’s Think On These Things: Psalms 27:11
Psalms 27: [A Psalm] of David. 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?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. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Hear, O LORD, [when] I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.[When thou saidst], Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face [far] from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.[I had fainted], unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. As we will see in our series, King David addresses many of the same issues that each and every one of us faces when we are in the midst of the most difficult, fearful situations of life. May the Lord honor this study in His Word, by granting to us the truths of this Psalm and their practical application to our life.
EXPOSITION:
In our text for today, David now continues his prayer coming before the Lord with his requests…
Psa 27:11 KJV “Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.” “Teach me thy way, O LORD,
David now requests the Lord to “teach me thy way”. Please notice that David did not say” teach me the way to get out of this situation”, no, all he desired was to be shown the path the Lord would have him to take, whether it would end in removal from his situation, or cause him to remain in it. All he wanted was to fulfill the Lord’s will for his life.
and lead me in a plain path,
David wanted the Lord to lead him on a path that was clear and straight. In other words, he wanted the Lord’s path to be easy to see and walk upon so that there was no chance of him accidently getting off the course the Lord had laid for his life.
“Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips [shall be] right things.For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness [is] an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth [are] in righteousness; [there is] nothing froward or perverse in them.They [are] all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.” (Proverbs 8:6-9)
because of mine enemies.”
David was very concerned about his testimony before others, especially his enemies. David’s desire was to be able to easily follow the Lord’s path for his life so that he might not fall into temptation and fall into sin, giving his enemies a reason to accuse him and bring dishonor to David and the Lord that he served.
“Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.Teach me to do thy will; for thou [art] my God: thy spirit [is] good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” (Psalms 143:8-10)
APPLICATION:
One of the great burdens upon David’s heart during his time in the midst of the fearful events of his life, was the need to keep the Lord’s will and retain a good testimony in the eyes of others. David knew for this to happen, the Lord would have to intervene in his life, show him His will clearly, and enable him to fulfill that will. When faced with the fearful times of life, may we all keep our attention fixed on the Lord and His will for our lives, seeking to honor and glorify Him in all that we do.
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Monday, August 18, 2014
SIH’s Think On These Things: Psalms 27:10
Psalms 27: [A Psalm] of David. 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?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. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Hear, O LORD, [when] I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.[When thou saidst], Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face [far] from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.[I had fainted], unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. As we will see in our series, King David addresses many of the same issues that each and every one of us faces when we are in the midst of the most difficult, fearful situations of life. May the Lord honor this study in His Word, by granting to us the truths of this Psalm and their practical application to our life.
EXPOSITION:
In our text for today, David now continues his prayer coming before the Lord with his requests… Psa 27:10 KJV When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
The relationship between a parent and a child should be one of the closest, loving relationships that can be found among mankind. After all, the Lord has given parents the responsibility to protect, train, discipline and support their children in every way possible, for the good of the child and the glory of the Lord.
During the course of David’s life, which included facing many difficult fearful times, he had learned that even his parents were unable, or unwilling to fulfill their responsibilities. The greater lesson to be learned from this statement is that the closest of allies can, and will, fail us…
“Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help.His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psalms 146:3-4) then the LORD will take me up.
Keep in mind, the natural inclination of parents should be to come to the aid of their children and giving their all to protect, encourage and strengthen them. How much more does that hold true with our heavenly Father? The Lord, alone, is our perfect refuge in times of need…
“I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, [and set me] in a large place. The LORD [is] on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see [my desire] upon them that hate me.[It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalms 118:5-8) “
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” Psa 103:13 KJV
APPLICATION:
In this devotional for this morning, we can see that David understood the dangers inherent in trusting in mankind during the fearful times of our lives. Because of the fallen nature of man, we can never fully trust them to always work for our good. Not so with our Lord. Our Lord alone will work perfectly on our behalf, loving us, caring for us, and protecting us, while we are yet in the midst of the storms of life.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, [and] from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day;[Nor] for the pestilence [that] walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wasteth at noonday.A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.” (Psalms 91:1-8)
May we always look to our Lord in times of great distress and upheaval, knowing that He, alone, is our certain refuge in the storm.
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Friday, August 15, 2014
SIH’s Think On These Things: Psalms 27:9
As we will see in our series, King David addresses many of the same issues that each and every one of us faces when we are in the midst of the most difficult, fearful situations of life. May the Lord honor this study in His Word, by granting to us the truths of this Psalm and their practical application to our life.
EXPOSITION:
In our text for today, David now continues his prayer by making more specific requests of Him… Psa 27:9 KJV Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
Hide not thy face far from me;
Request #4: The Lord to continue to reveal Himself to David.
David desired the Lord to reveal Himself to David during this time of fear. The more David could see the Lord’s greatness, wisdom, strength and glory in his life, the less scared he would be. Previously, David had asked the Lord to allow him to see the Lord at work in His life. Now David is asking the Lord to allow him to see His Person as an encouragement to David.
put not thy servant away in anger:
Request #5: The Lord to remain close to David, withholding His anger by forgiving him of is sin.
“Lord do not turn away from me in anger due to my sin”. David is requesting the Lord’s forgiveness for any sin he has committed, thus assuring the Lord’s closeness in his time of need. During the fearful times of our life, it is so important for us to know that we are forgiven, and eternally secure based upon the work of Christ on the cross. In doing so, we are assured of His never-ending love and presence in our lives…
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)
thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
Request #6:
The Lord to not abandon or turn away from David David recalls the many times the Lord had given him aid during times of trials or granted him deliverance from them. David recognized his weaknesses during those trying times of life. But he also recognized the Lord’s ability to ALWAYS strengthen those areas of need. Now David asks the Lord to accompany him, realizing his great need of the Lord as he walked down this fearful path of life.
APPLICATION:
In our look at David’s requests to the Lord during the fearful times of life, we have seen David’s many requests…
#1: The Lord to “hear” his requests. #2: The Lord’s mercy to be shown to David #3: The Lord to answer the requests of David #4: The Lord to reveal Himself to David. #5: The Lord to withholding His anger by forgiving David’s sin. #6: The Lord to not abandon or turn away from David
But it the midst of all these requests, David determined to desire, and then accept, the Lord’s will for his life. Please note that all of the above requests, we can see David’s great desire for the Lord’s continuing presence and intervention in His life during this fearful time. David has yet to verbalize specific requests concerning the current situation he was facing.
This speaks volumes to us about what David considered his most important needs. His greatest need was not to be delivered from His enemies…. It was to be certain the Lord was with Him. His most fervent desires did not center on his assurance of deliverance from his trials, but his assurance of the Lord’s protective intervention in his life.
What a wonderful example and testimony David is leaving for us in this Psalm. To put it very simply, David is saying…. Our greatest need is life is not comfort nor an easing of our trials… it is Christ’s presence in our lives!
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.” (Psalms 16:11)
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