[Music] thank you today I simply want to share with you a Psalm that has really touched me at times when I'm overwhelmed and I want to pray but I can't find the words to speak I simply read this Psalm and I offer it as a prayer to the Lord and as I read it I want you to keep something in mind David mentions enemies however when I applied this Psalm to my life the enemies I'm talking about are not physical enemies but rather I sometimes have to face an enemy called discouragement sometimes it's called anxiety or worry these are all enemies so for the next few moments as I read this precious Psalm from the word of God I encourage you to open up your heart to the Lord and cast all your burdens on him Psalm 27 verses 1 through 14. the Lord is my light and my salvation so why should I be afraid the Lord is my Fortress protecting me from danger so why should I tremble when evil people come to devour me when my enemies and foes attack me they will stumble and fall though a mighty Army surrounds me my heart will not be afraid even if I am attacked I will remain confident the one thing I ask of the Lord the thing I seek most is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life delighting in the Lord's Perfections and meditating in his Temple for he will conceal me there when troubles come he will hide me in his Sanctuary he will place me Out Of Reach on a high Rock then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me at his Sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy singing and praising the Lord with music hear me as I pray O Lord be merciful and answer me my heart has heard you say come and talk with me and my heart responds Lord I am coming do not turn your back on me do not reject your servant and anger you have always been my helper don't leave me alone now don't abandon me o God of my salvation even if my father and mother abandoned me the Lord will hold me close teach me how to live O Lord lead me along the right path for my enemies are waiting for me do not let me fall into their hands for they accuse me of things I've never done with every breath they threaten me with violence yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living wait patiently for the Lord be brave and courageous yes wait patiently for the Lord now let us pray my Lord my savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth the one and only son of the Living God King Jesus you are my light and my salvation and because of that Whom Shall I Fear what shall I be afraid of when Jesus Christ Our Lord is our refuge and the Fortress of Our Lives Whom Shall We dread if God is for us who can be against us no one because we serve an almighty all-powerful all-conquering God even if the wicked come up against us we will not fear even if an Army encamps against us our hearts will not fear because Jesus Christ holds all power Lord You're The One who has the final say father my prayer is what your word says in Psalm 27 verse 4. one thing I have asked of the Lord and that I will seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord in his presence all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty the delightful loveliness and Majestic Grandeur of the Lord and to meditate in his Temple Lord I trust you because in the day of trouble you will be my shelter you will always be my Hiding Place you will lift me up on a rock because of this I will sing praises to your name O Lord your word in Psalm 95 verses 1 through 7.
it says come let us sing for Joy to the Lord let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation let us come before him with Thanksgiving and extol him with music and song for the Lord is the great God the great king above all gods in his hand are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to him the sea is his for he made it and His Hands formed the dry land come let us Bow Down In Worship let us kneel before the Lord our maker for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture the flock under his care Lord Jesus we thank you for bringing us out of the darkness and we thank you for shining your light on our hearts we can now declare that Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life we were once lost but you have now called us to be yours may your light shine within our lives Lord let your light be seen in our character let your light be seen in our words and in our actions father each and every day may it be all about you may we live to exalt you may we live to praise you and worship you because you are an awesome God you are the almighty God Lord Jesus be praised let your light shine and be seen in how I walk in this life and how I conduct myself thank you for your word Dear God for it says in Micah chapter 7 verse 8. do not rejoice over me my enemy when I fall I will arise when I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light to me I pray that in all I do may I reflect your love may I reflect your mercy to those around me thank you Lord for inviting me to be a part of your plan in Jesus name I pray amen [Music] for a moment I want to encourage you to meditate on Psalm 27 today in its entirety Psalm 27 encapsulates David's deep trust in God's protection guidance and presence and I believe that this is a passage that invites us to place our confidence in God even in the face of challenges and to seek him with all our heart just as David found comfort and courage in his relationship with God we too can draw strength from our faith in the midst of life's trials and so Psalm chapter 27. verse 1.
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 David Begins by proclaiming his unwavering trust in God he uses powerful metaphors light and salvation to convey that God illuminates his path and rescues him from danger David's confidence in God's protection leads him to ask a rhetorical question if God is on his side there is no one to fear this verse sets the tone for an entire Psalm emphasizing the strength of his faith in God's guidance and refuge verse 2. when the wicked Advance against me to devour me it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall here David acknowledges the existence of enemies and challenges that may come up against him however he firmly believes that God will cause his enemies to stumble and fail in their attempt to harm him this verse reflects David's assurance that God's power is greater than any threat he faces verse 3. though an army besieged me my heart will not fear the War break out against me even then I will be confident David's confidence in God's protection continues to shine through he uses strong imagery of an army besieging him in war breaking out emphasizing the severity of the challenges he may encounter yet he remains unshaken in his faith declaring that his heart will not fear he will maintain his confidence in God's Deliverance verse 4 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 David expresses his deepest desire to be in the presence of God he longs to dwell in God's house not just for a moment but for all the days of his life this reflects David's thirst for intimacy with God and His eagerness to experience the beauty and wonder of God's presence verse 5.
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 David reaffirms his trust in God's protection and refuge he believes that in times of trouble God will provide safety and shelter the image of being set high upon a rock symbolizes being placed above danger and adversity verse 6. 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 David envisions a future where he will triumph over his enemies he anticipates offering sacrifices and praises to God with shouts of Joy celebrating God's faithfulness and deliverance verse 7. hear my voice when I call Lord be merciful to me and answer me in this verse David shifts to a heartfelt plea he calls upon God to hear his prayers and to respond with mercy and Grace David recognizes his dependence on God's compassion and desires and intimate connection with him verse 8.
my heart says of you seek his face your face Lord I will seek David's heart prompts him to seek God's face he responds to the call of his heart expressing his determination to seek God's presence with Zeal and devotion verse 9. do not hide your face from me do not turn your servant away in Anger you have been my helper do not reject me or forsake me God my savior David acknowledges his Reliance on God's help and pleads for God's continued presence he asked God not to turn away from him recalling the history of God's guidance and salvation in his life verse 10 though my father and mother forsake me the Lord will receive me David acknowledges that even if his Earthly relationships falter he is confident that God will never abandon him this verse reflects David's deep conviction in God's unwavering love and acceptance verse 11 teach me your way Lord lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors David desires to know God's ways and seeks his guidance he asks for direction and wisdom to navigate his challenges knowing that God's guidance will lead him on the right path verse 12. do not turn me over to the desires of my foes for false witnesses rise up against me spouting malicious accusations David recognizes the threats posed by his enemies and false Witnesses who spread lies against him he pleads with God to protect him from their schemes verse 13.
I remain confident of this I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living despite the challenges David holds on to his confidence in God's goodness he anticipates witnessing God's blessing and Provisions in his current life not just in the distant future verse 14.
