The Lord's Strength

As we continue in our series on the power and authority of God, today I’m going to tell you about the strength of the Lord. As brave as you may act, as confident as you think you are, as bold as you present yourself, you are still no match for Satan’s attacks all by yourself.

Our text today comes from King David. The time he penned it is in debate, but what is not in debate is that he wrote it, that it encouraged him, and it will encourage you if you allow it to get in your spirit.

Turn with me to the 27th division of the Psalms where we find these words of King David.

Ps 27:1-4 - 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? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 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.

I’ve titled this message today, “The Lord’s Strength”.

David begins this Psalm with a declaration and a question. First he declares, the Lord is my light and my salvation; then the question comes, whom shall I fear?

When we were children, many of us were afraid of the dark. A light coming from under the door, outside the window, or even a night light could create shadows, and in the mind of a child that shadow was something to be afraid of.

As adults, it may be someone lurking in the shadows of a dark place as you’re walking down the street. These days, it would seem that those who would seek to harm others, are not even waiting for the cover of darkness. Some even go so far as to record and post their crimes all for the sake of getting followers or going viral.

This lets you know darkness is not necessarily a time of day. Darkness can be a state of mind and for those who find themselves in a physical, mental, or emotional state of darkness, I’m here to let you know this morning, there is a remedy.

David says. “The Lord is my light”, and when the Lord is your light you will never walk in darkness. The Lord is a light that cannot be extinguished, his light will shine forever, and his light dispels or displaces the darkness.

John said it this way, “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” The light that is Jesus, covers whatever darkness you may find yourself in.

Jesus is light and he gives you light, so you can be the light of the world. We were all made to reflect the light of the S-O-N, Son to those who have yet to find him. We are the light to lead the way through the darkness, the trials, the tribulations, the turmoil, the depression, the strife, the heartache, and heartbreak that is this life.

Not only is he a light, David says, He’s my salvation. He is my savior. He has redeemed me from the hand of the enemy, he has saved me from an endless torment in the pit of hell. He has saved me from myself. He has made a way for me to spend eternity with him in heaven.

Jesus confirms this fact in John 14:1-3when he says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

So knowing just those two things David says, “whom shall I fear?” The NLT says it this way, “…so why should I be afraid?”

When you can get this in your spirit, that there is no need to fear, your bravery doesn’t have to be an act, it can be real.

But David doesn’t stop there, he says, “The Lord is the strength of my life;” Another word for strength is power. Have you ever felt weak? Have you ever been tired or sick, or sick and tired?

Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep. I don’t know about you, but when my body is tired, when I don’t get enough sleep, I’m not real pleasant to be around and if I sit still long enough, I will go to sleep.

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t go on, but the God-given task is not complete? I’m here to let you know this morning, the Lord will give you his strength to get it done.

Now make sure you heard me. I said God-given tasks. Sometimes we take on too much stuff and it’s not anything that God told us to do, then we get overwhelmed and frustrated and even have the audacity to get upset with God.

But if you’re listening, you’ll hear God say, I didn’t tell you to do all that, I told you to rest. I told you, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

This body, this frail flesh, it needs rest. We sometimes get so busy at church that what we’re doing is no longer ministry because we’re doing it with the wrong motive; we’re doing it with a bad attitude. We’re trying to work our way into heaven. But God doesn’t require, nor has he asked you to do all that you’re doing.

His divine order is first love Him, then love and take care of your family, then serve in your local church and whatever your hands find to do, do it as unto the Lord.

When what you’re doing is an assignment from God, he will give you the strength to complete it. It’s called supernatural strength. That strength that comes and when you’re on the other side you look back and say, “How on earth did I finish that? How in the world did I do that?”

The answer is, what you finished; that thing you did, wasn’t earthly or worldly. When God is the strength of your life, nothing shall be impossible for you. Like Paul, you can say with confidence, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. We’re talking about the power of God.

When you have the strength of the Lord, you don’t have to fear anyone, you don’t have to fear those who would hide in the shadows. Those who throw rocks and hide their hands. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

God didn’t promise you wouldn’t have trials and tribulations as you go through this life, in fact we are told to rejoice when we run into trials and tribulations. Because what God did promise is that he will be with you and that he will deliver you out of all your troubles.

He said he would make a way of escape when temptations come.

He said those trials would help us develop endurance.

He said that endurance will develop strength of character.

He said that character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

Then he said that hope will not lead to disappointment.

Why?

Because we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. You’re not alone.

So what are you saying preacher? Well, I’m saying

Trials come to make us strong.

They come to show us the power God has given us.

They come to increase our faith.

They come to draw us closer to God.

They come to keep us praying.

They come to show us how much we’ve grown in Christ.

I’m saying when trials come, don’t give up, don’t give in, don’t wallow in your situation, don’t cry and complain. I’m saying trouble don’t last always, that in due season you will reap a harvest if you faint not.

Keep pushing, keep praying, keep fasting, keep praising, keep giving God glory and he will bring you out. And when he does, your face will shine like Moses when he came down from the mountain after being in the presence of God. Your countenance will make people ask the question, “Why are you so happy? They’ll say, “There’s something different about you.” And you can boldly say, “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Let me tell you about him.”

In versus two and three, David tells us about the attacks of his enemies and what God did. When they came, they stumbled and fell. David didn’t have to fight. God caused his enemies to fall even before they reached David. God will fight your battles for you. The battle is not yours, it’s the Lord’s. Knowing this:

Have you thanked God for the failed plans of others to harm you?

Have you praised him for the accident you didn’t have on your way to work, on the way to the store, on the way taking the kids to school?

Have you given him glory for the light that came on when you flipped the switch because you had electricity?

Have you exalted him for the water that came out of the faucet when you turned the handle?

Do you ever stop to think about all the things God does on your behalf and you didn’t even ask him for it?

We do hundreds of things every day and, do we stop to recognize it’s God who makes it all possible? Do you ever just stop and say thank you God? Are you ever intentional in your thanks. Do you ever praise God on purpose? Let me encourage you

If it’s only because he woke you up this morning—praise him.

If it’s only because you have breath in your body—praise him.

If it’s only because you have the activity of your limbs—praise him.

If it’s only because you can speak—praise him.

If it’s only because you have food to eat—praise him.

If it’s only because you have a regulated mind—praise him.

If it’s only because you can pay your bills on time—praise him.

If it’s only because you’re not in pain—praise him.

If it’s only because you can feel the pain and you’re not paralyzed—praise him.

If it’s only because your children are safe—praise him.

If it’s only because you are able to see and hear me deliver this message this morning, whether you’re here in the sanctuary or watching online—praise him.

We owe God praise. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. It’s the very least we can do.

Don’t get it twisted, there are those who live to see you fall, fail and flop. They get joy seeing others not succeed. You don’t believe me? Just watch the montage of falls on TikTok, Facebook, and America’s Funniest Home Videos.

I’ll get caught up watching reels sometimes and occasionally there’ll be a montage of crashes, or falls and I find myself saying oh no that’s not funny, or oh God, I pray they didn’t get hurt too bad.

Everything that’s posted online, everything you see on TV, is not there to uplift you. Sometimes you have to search diligently to find those things. Perhaps that’s why we’re told our spiritual gifts were given for the edification of the saints. Not the entertainment, but the edification.

Our gifts were given to lift each other, to encourage one another, to help someone make it to tomorrow, maybe even to help someone make it through the rest of today.

You never know what someone may be going through. Don’t let the smile on their face, the clothes they wear, the purse they carry or the car they drive fool you. We could be up today and get hit with a medical bill, an illness, an incident, or accident tomorrow that destroys our lives.

David said, “One thing have I desire 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.”

David was a king. Not just any king, he was the apple of God’s eye. He was the first king chosen by God, to lead God’s chosen people; a task not to be taken lightly. The people chose Saul based on looks, but God chose David based on his heart. Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart.

David lived in a palace, he had servants and wives and money and power and the thing he desired most, the thing he sought most was to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life.

There is another life when we finish this one here on earth. David knew that and was telling God he wanted to be with him forever, for all the days of his life.

What made that the place he wanted to be?

He knew there was beauty there.

He knew there was perfection there.

He knew there was peace there.

He knew there was safety there.

He knew he was out of his enemy’s reach there.

David said he wanted to enquire in his temple, he wanted to meditate day and night in the temple of the Lord.

Not everyone will rejoice with you when God is blessing you. Don’t ever think you have no enemies and that everyone likes you. Jesus chose 12 and 1 of them betrayed him. He knew he would, but there was a method to what seems to us like madness.

So don’t be dismayed, discouraged, or disheartened, when a trusted friend betrays you; when a loved one lets you down. God has a method and a motive for the madness in the movie that is your life.

In light of this news, praise God for every good day you have. Praise him for every sunrise you see because tomorrow is not promised.

And if per chance you wake up tomorrow and you are not in this world, make sure the place where you lift your eyes is the one Jesus prepared for you.

Jesus sacrificed his glory and put on a body to come and show us the Father. He came to show us how to live a life that’s holy and full of glory.

A life that’s pleasing to God.

A life that’s about service and thinking more highly of others than we do ourselves.

A life that’s selfless.

A life that’s filled with love and compassion and giving.

Jesus lived a life that led to our salvation when he endured the mockery of the those who were the leaders.

It wasn’t the ordinary people who went after Jesus, trying to trip him up at every turn. It was the religious leaders, the arrogant and haughty ones, the ones who claimed they were holy and righteous. Today we would call them priests, pastors, and teachers.

They were the very hierarchy Jesus came to tear down, when he said he came to serve, not to be served. He came to do the will of his Father. He said he only does what the Father tells him to do. Can you say the same?

His Father told him, we needed help.

He told him, we couldn’t do it by ourselves.

His Father told him we needed a savior and Jesus said:

I will go for them.

I will take the beating.

I will take the insults.

I will take the guilt and the shame.

I will bear their sins.

I will die a criminal’s death.

I will hang on that cross until all their sin is covered.

I will hang on that cross until nothing remains to stand between you and them, Father.

I will hang on that cross until the debt is paid in full.

I will hang on that cross until It-is-finished.

And that’s what Jesus did. He did it for you and he did it for me, even before we acknowledged him. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He didn’t say, “I’m going to wait until they get their stuff together.” So why are you?

You can’t fix yourself, that’s why Jesus came, because we couldn’t do it. Praise God he saw our insufficiency, praise him that he looked beyond our faults and saw our need.

Bless him that he recognized we were in need of saving and he loved us enough to rescue us. He gave us a free gift.

As we come to the giving season of the year, as we unwrap the gifts we’ll receive, let me ask you this. “Have you accepted and unwrapped the gift that Jesus gave you?” It’s available year-round, not just at Christmas.

Have you accepted the gift of salvation? It’s free and it’s easy. All it takes is a sincere prayer from your heart. Acknowledging or confessing that you know you’re a sinner, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that he came and died for your sins, then inviting him into your heart, to be Lord of your life.

How you say it is up to you, what’s important is that you believe it in your heart. If you want to join the Kingdom of God you can pray a prayer something like this:

Lord, I confess I’m a sinner, I believe you are the Son of God and that you died for my sins. Please come into my heart, I give you my life, in your name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time congratulations and welcome to the family, send us a message and let us know so we can pray with and for you.

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