Have Courage...Even If...!!!
Psalm 27
Courage…most people do not see themselves as courageous…at all!!!
Courage can be seen as the continual striving for something in the face one’s own fear and despite great adversity within that situation.
Using that as a Lens through which to view our circumstances, many of us are a lot more courageous than we perceive ourselves to be.
Some of us go to work each and every day to provide for our families despite having ongoing serious health issues and/or mental health issues. Facing that sort of adversty where your body is actually trying to hinder you from doing anything productive - that is tough, and to fight against it the best you can in order to love and provide for others…well that takes courage.
Going out ans striving to better yourself, or engage in situations where you feel inadequate or suffer from “Imposter Syndrome” where we feel completely unsuted to fulfil the role we are currently doing - no matter how well we are actually doing it. Well to continue in that role, despite our feelings, is courageous.
Then there is the courage that relates to going out and directly confronting evil…and at times…perhaps often…this may cost us. Yet, even in the face of this, God is always with us.
King David knew a thing or two about courage and he places it inits correct context in Psalm 27.
Psalm 27 - A Psalm of David - says…
Verses 1-3: “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 came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.”
It is interesting to note that King David often starts his psalms with a similar structure as the “Lord’s Prayer”. Where God is honoured/kept holy (which is the meaning of ‘hallowed’). In Psalm 27, David praises God (Yahweh) and lifts up the name of God and the character of God.
And it is because of this acknowledgement and understanding of the character of God that David can then state with courage something along the lines of “Who do I fear? - Because God is with me!”.
It is only with the acceptance that God is with us that we can truly set aside our fears and step into the path that God has set for us. If we don’t trust in God - then we are doomed to be overwhelmed by the events that surround us.
Our confidence can only truly come from God, because our own confidence stems from our emotions, and our emotions can change at any given moment. Like Elijah, We can feel confident and courageous one moment, and the next we can feel isolated, challenged and depressed. Grounding ourselves in God is the only way we can get around our emotional changes and turmoil.
Verses 4-6: “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: 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 inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”
The deepest desire of David’s life is not all the wealth of the world, nor to have the most beautiful of wives, but rather to dwell with God forever. He knew that there is more than just what one can acquire in this earthly life - he wanted an eternity in God’s presence.
It is in God’s presence that David knew he could hide from the ills and concerns of this world. it is a lesson that we need to learn for ourselves. The presence of God is the only place where we can experience true peace, true calm and true fulfilment - anything else is a counterfiet.
Our ability to deal with the pressures and the ills of this world depend on our ability to worship and praise God in the midst of our struggles. When we focus on ourselves too much, then we lose focus of God - and our struggles become idols to us, as our focus is solely linked to that, rather than our trust and faith in God.
We need to be like David who sang praises to God, and freely gave of his joy.
Verses 7- 10: “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; 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.”
King David turns his attention to how he wants God to intervene in his circumstances. He cries out for God to hear him and to anser his prayers.
David truly wants to experience the mercy and love of God in his life and in his circumstances.
Half way through these verses David switches from these pleas to clear and faith-flled statements of faith when he acknowledges that God does indeed hear his prayers and pleas - and that God will not forsake him in the troubles he faces.
God is always with us - whether we feel it or not - HE is there with us, and he will not abondone us.
David is echoing what was said in Deuteronomy 31:8, which said “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
And it is an echo of God’s truth that flows out into the New Testament where in Romans 8:31 the Apostle Paul states, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can beagainst us?”
Verses 11-13: “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.”
David was a wise man (despite all his faults) because he wants to know the truth from God, not from the weak and flawed wisdom of humanity.
David seeks to be righteous and to live righteously, and it is in that position that he asks God not to let his enemies overtake him and cause his destruction.
David makes an interesting claim - I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” - this claim of faith is where we all should be right now. The days in our lives are long and dark, and the world around us is turning more evil by the day.
Yet, even though we may be going through really difficult times, and at times there seems to be no hope to get out of the storms that we are facing - we need to believe this statement by David and apply it to our lives. I know this is easier said than done - but if we place all our faith in God and HIS ability to bless us with HIS grace, mercy and love - then we too shall see the goodness of God in this life.
Verse 14: “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”
David closes out this psalm by making a series of important statements - “Wait on the Lord” - this is where many of us fall down, as we are always wanting God to act in our own timeframe, rather than HIS time.
By waiting for God…we can “Be of good courage” - we become more courageous knowing that God is with us and will never abandone us to our enemies and to our situations.
When we wait on the Lord, and we act in courage, then Gos is able to “Strengthen our heart”.
It is in this way that we are victorious in our lives - even if they are hard and traumatic.
I hope and pray that in whatever season of life you are currently experiencing that you wait for the Lord to work in your situation - even as you cry out to HIM in desperation or need. I pray that you are patient in that wait, that you live with courage to endure what you are going through. And by doing so….one day…you will experience the goodness of God in this life.