Lift Up Your Head

When I was last before you I talked to you about King David and the 27th division of the Psalms. We stopped at the fourth verse and what we know up to now is that the Lord is David’s light and salvation and because of that he had no reason to fear. We know the Lord is the strength of his life, so he had no reason to be afraid.

When his enemies and foes came to eat up his flesh or kill him, he would not fear. If war rose against him, even if he was attacked he would remain confident.

There was one thing he asked of the Lord, one thing he desired, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

David wanted to spend his days delighting in the Lord’s perfection and meditating in his Temple. What a life that would be.

And that brings us to verse five. I’ll read for your hearing verses 5 - 8 and verse 14. Beginning in verse five David further tells us why he desires to dwell in the house of the Lord. He says…

Ps 27:5 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. 6 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. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek…14 Wait on the LORD: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the LORD

The title of today’s message is Lift up Your Head.

David continues, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion.”

Have you ever had a time when you just wanted to go somewhere and hide? It could be someone was after you or you just needed some alone time to get your thoughts together, to figure out your next move.

David had many times when he needed to hide. King Saul had tried to kill him numerous times so David was on the run. He found himself in a physical wilderness on multiple occasions running from someone who at one point he was very close to. He played music for the king when evil spirits would torment him.

But now he’s running for his life. He’s supposed to be the king, he’s supposed to be living in a palace, with servants. Instead, he finds himself in a fight for his life, but he knows where his help comes from and he calls on the Lord, because he knows the Lord will save him, he will conceal him in his Temple, he will hide him in his sanctuary.

When you get overwhelmed by life, remember God is a sanctuary, a place for you to go when you don’t know where to go.

It’s important you find a way to get into the sanctuary of God. I’m not talking about a church building; I’m talking about a place where it’s just you and the Lord. A place of peace and quiet where you can talk to the Lord, but more importantly where He can talk to you.

You may have a quiet corner or room in your house.

You may go and sit in your car.

Or go for a drive.

Maybe you’re near a place where there’s water. A beach, a park, or a lake where you can experience the splendor of God.

Perhaps you have mountains near you and you can go there.

It may be just sitting on your front porch or in the backyard by yourself.

Wherever that place is for you, make it, it’s not important where it is, it’s just important that it is. God has set aside time for you, will you show up to meet with him?

David said God would set him out of reach on a high rock. Have you ever seen animals climb out of reach of a predator? They’ll go up into a tree or climb where they know their enemy can’t reach them. Do you have a place where the enemy can’t reach you? No? Get one soon.

Because when you purpose in your heart to serve the Lord, the attacks will come. Trials and tribulation will abound. Life will get rough and rocky and hard to navigate. Temptations will present themselves wrapped in a beautiful package to draw you away from what God has for you.

Don’t fall for it, don’t take the bait. Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

When God’s got you, when he has placed you out of reach you, like David, can hold your head high, above the enemies who will surround you hoping to destroy you. Can you lift your head, not in haughtiness but in the assurance and confidence of God?

Have you ever experienced those people who seem to always have the negative point of view? You know, the ones who can always tell you why something won’t work, yet offer no solutions to help fix it? Sometimes they’ll use the phrase, “Just playing devil’s advocate.” Why would one advocate for the devil? When you encounter those type of people, run Forest! Run. Get away from them as quickly as you can.

But pastor, what if I’m married to them? Well, stay calm, put on your armor and begin to praise the Lord. Because God’s got you too, you can offer a sacrifice with shouts of joy, you can sing and praise the Lord with music.

Just begin to shout on purpose.

GLORY BE TO GOD! GOD I THANK YOU THAT YOU WATCH OVER ME EVERYDAY. I THANK YOU THAT YOU KEEP ME SAFE FROM ALL HURT, HARM AND DANGER. I THANK YOU THAT YOU PROTECT ME FROM THE HAND OF MY ENEMY. THEY CAN’T TRIUMPH OVER ME, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SET ME HIGH UPON A ROCK. YOU HAVE SET ME OUT OF THE REACH OF MY ENEMIES.

Do you have an ever-ready praise on your lips?

Carry a song in your heart that you can pull out at a moment’s notice and begin to sing.

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Oh this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Add more verses as needed all in my home, all on my job, everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine.

Maybe you need some hand holding and you begin to sing,

Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light: Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

Don’t worry about it if you can’t sing like CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, or Fred Hammond, you’re offering a praise from your heart to the God who has set you out of the reach of your enemies, the God who has delivered you and protects you. So whatever your song may be, sing it heartily to the Lord God of your salvation.

Maybe you need it to be CeCe or Yolanda or Fred to take you into that place of rest and protection and meditation…keep YouTube at the ready and hit play.

Now, David has a few requests, first he says, Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, then, have mercy also upon me, and answer me. Not only does he want God to hear him, but he also wants God to have mercy on him and answer him.

No one wants to talk and not be heard, but when you’re talking to the creator of everything, there’s something you need to ask for first.

We’re not worthy in and of ourselves to go to God’s throne and ask for anything. We’re covered with the stain of sin, our righteousness is as filthy rags and we deserve death.

But God, in his infinite wisdom and love and mercy gave us a remedy for our impurities, he gave us Jesus. So when we pray, when approach God’s throne, when we ask him for anything in the name of Jesus, the first thing we need to ask for is mercy. Mercy so we don’t get what we deserve and so we do get what we don’t deserve. We ask for mercy so, he hears us and he answers our prayers.

How can I be so sure? Because when Jesus died on the cross the curtain in the Temple was torn from the top to the bottom opening the way for us, giving us access to the Holy of Holies, allowing us to approach the throne of God for ourselves.

I can be sure because Jesus said so in John 16, when he said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”

Why would God make that kind of promise through his Son Jesus? Has he met us? Does he know what we’re like? Does he know how selfish and self-centered we can be?

Yes he does, but let me tell you why God makes that kind of promise. He makes that kind of promise because

those who truly know Jesus,

those who have made him Lord of their lives,

those who have put their trust in him,

those who obey the commands of God, after all that is how we show our love for him,

Those people, those are the ones who know what to pray. Those people won’t be praying for anything crazy and selfish. Those people won’t pray for something that goes against the character of God. And most importantly, those people will pray for God’s will to be done in all things.

So when David hears God beckon him to seek his face, his heart responds and begins the search. God is calling you. Can you hear him? Are you searching for Him with your whole heart?

Can you say, I hear you Lord. I’m coming. Or are you trying to use man’s logic to solve your problem.

Are you trying to work harder and more hours to pay your bills or are you giving God his tenth and trusting him to open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing you won’t have room to receive?

Are you buying and reading more self-help books instead of downloading the free Bible app on your phone and doing the daily meditation and prayer?

We find ourselves in a place sometimes where we’re crying out, don’t turn your back on me God. Don’t reject me in anger, you’ve always been my helper. Don’t leave me now!

Sometimes we can get in a place where it seems like God is silent. We pray and nothing. We fast and nothing. We get off by ourselves and still there’s silence. We find ourselves begging don’t abandon me oh God of my salvation. I’m here to tell you today, lift up your head, He’s there.

Then David talks about the two closest relationships we typically have on this side of heaven. He says even if my father and mother abandon me the Lord will hold me close.

Now, you may be saying in what world would that happen? Well this one, unfortunately it happens every day. There are actual times when parents abandon their children and other times when children just feel that way.

There’s a stage of growing up when children get caught between what mama and daddy say and getting their own ideas and thoughts on some things. They’re in search of independence and it feels like their parents have abandoned them, it seems like they’re not listening to them.

To the children who may be in that stage of life, please let me tell you, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a trick of the enemy and please don’t fall for it.

But know this, even when it seems like your mother and father are against you, God is always there for you.

Maybe your mom and dad are no longer living. Remember this…

God will hold you close.

He will teach you how to live.

He will lead you along the right path, because your enemies are waiting for you to slip. They’re waiting for you to fall and they’re waiting for you to fail. So they can laugh and say I told you so.

They’re waiting so they can accuse you of things that you’ve not only never done, but would never do.

Some of you may be experiencing a bully in your life and the torment seems endless, but let me assure you, this too shall pass. They may be bullying you because there’s something missing in their own lives.

Whatever the case, you’re never too young or too old to have a close relationship with God. To praise him, to sing his praises.

David said, I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. You don’t have to wait until you get to heaven to experience the goodness of the Lord.

You can experience God’s goodness right here, right now. It would be sad to live your whole life thinking you have to wait till you get to heaven to enjoy the goodness of the Lord.

There’s a story adapted by Bruce Wilkerson that goes like this.

Have you heard the story about Mr Jones, who dies and goes to heaven? When he arrives, St Peter is waiting at the Pearly Gates and takes Mr Jones on a tour of heaven. Mr Jones is awestruck. The streets are paved with gold, beautiful mansions glisten in the sunshine, choirs of angels sing the most beautiful songs.

Partway through his tour of heaven Mr Jones’ eye is drawn to an odd looking building, an enormous warehouse with no windows and just one door. What an odd structure for heaven! “You don’t really want to see what’s in there” says St Peter.

“But I do, I do” says Mr Jones. He races across the lawn and pushes open the door to discover rows and rows of shelves, floor to ceiling. Stacked on the shelves are thousands of white boxes. The boxes all have names on them.

“Is there one with my name on it?” asks Mr Jones as he rushes to the J aisle. He finds the box with his name on it and opens it up. His mouth drops, his pulse quickens, and finally he says to Peter, “What are all these wonderful things inside my box? Are they the good things in store for me now that I’ve reached heaven?”.

“No” replies St Peter. “They’re all the blessings God wanted to give you while you were alive on earth, but which you never received.”

A sad look came over Mr Jones. He looked into the box, to St Peter and then back to the box. “Why?” he asked St Peter. “Why did I miss out on all these blessings?”

Well, that’s a long story…” replied St Peter.

What blessing does God have for you that you haven’t received. What blessing does he have for you, but you’re not in a position to receive it? What would cause you to not be in position? Well here’s a few things.

The #1 reason you miss your blessings is because you’ve not accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. You can’t experience the blessings of God if you don’t know his Son in the pardoning of your sin. How do you know what you’re entitled to if you’re not a member of the family?

You can miss your blessings if you’re not reading and studying God’s Word. How do you know what promises God has made if you don’t read it for yourself. Listening to mama and daddy and the preacher and Aunt Sally and Uncle Joe will only take you so far. You have to study for yourself.

You can miss your blessing if you’re in a state of disobedience. God said if you love me keep my commandments. Think about it. Do you reward your children when they’re disobedient? Not if you want them to grow into responsible adults. God is our Father and he chastens those whom he loves and he also blesses those who are his.

You can miss your blessings if you don’t ask for them. For instance, wisdom. James tells us, “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.” What are you lacking? What do you need? Ask God for it.

We see another way you can miss your blessings in James when he says, “… you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” You gotta ask for the right things, for the right reasons.

And while there are many other reasons you miss your blessings, the last one I’m going to talk about is you just don’t expect God to do what he says he will do, when he says he will do it, the way he wants to do it.

You want to be in control, not recognizing the God of the universe has your whole life in his hands and he only wants what’s best for you. Jeremiah assures us of this when he writes, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.”

There are some questions you need to answer for yourself.

Are you truly looking for him?

Do you have any expectations of him?

Do you believe his Word?

Do you believe he is all powerful?

Do you believe he knows everything?

Do you believe he is everywhere?

Do you believe he hears and answers your prayers. It’s one thing to believe he hears you, but it’s quite another to believe he will answer you. Listen, God speaks.

Sometimes it’s through a still small voice.

Sometimes it’s loud.

Sometimes it’s through a message.

Sometimes it’s through a person.

Sometimes it’s through a song.

Sometimes it’s through a movie.

Sometimes it’s through something you see in nature.

Sometimes it’s in your quiet time with him during your Bible reading, prayer, or devotion.

Shh, listen, God is speaking. Can you hear him? Quieten your mind, tune out all the voices in your head telling you, you can’t, you won’t, you shouldn’t. The voices saying you don’t have time, you need to clean the house, make the beds, vacuum the carpet, sweep and mop the floor, clean the kitchen, wash the clothes and the thousands of other decisions you make in a day.

Tune them all out so you can hear what God is trying to say to you.

Tune them out so you can receive all the blessings God has for you.

Tune them out so when you get to heaven your blessing box will be empty because you got all your blessings while you were here.

And finally, David encourages us, telling us to “Wait on the Lord”, sometimes you gotta wait. You gotta wait until everything is ready for you. God is preparing things for your arrival and if you get there too soon chaos will ensue, it will not only look like a mess, it will be a mess. Wait on the Lord.

Don’t just wait on him though, wait patiently, don’t try to rush the process. It takes a baby 40 weeks in the womb to fully develop and be able to sustain life outside the mother. If the baby is born too soon, their organs may not be fully developed, their lungs may not work the way they’re supposed to, you have to wait and not rush the process.

If your blessing comes too soon, you may not be able to handle it. You may not be mature enough to deal with all that comes with the blessing.

If your blessing comes too soon, you may not appreciate what a blessing it is.

Wait patiently on the Lord. Not only do we need to wait patiently we need to be brave and courageous as we wait.

Why would David say be brave and courageous? Because it can be hard to wait sometimes, and it can be scary. When you don’t know what’s coming, when you rely totally and completely on God, it takes trust. It takes faith to believe that God is who he said he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

And if you didn’t get it the first time, David repeats himself, “Wait, I say, on the Lord”.

Lift up your head and wait on the Lord. He has made a way out of no way.

He has stayed the hand of the enemy so he couldn’t harm you.

He has kept you safe from dangers seen and unseen.

He has provided for you when you were on your last.

He has covered your sin so you can walk those streets of gold, so that when this life is over, when you’ve breathed your last breath down here, you can live eternally with him in heaven.

He did it because he loved you so much he sent his Son to die in your place.

He did it because we couldn’t do it for ourselves.

He did it because we were lost with no hope.

He did it because we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Jesus did it because he knew we needed a Savior. We couldn’t do it for or by ourselves. We were hopeless and helpless until Jesus came to show us the way.

He showed us how to live a sinless life and when he had done everything the Father said do, he died on an old rugged cross.

But that’s not where his story ends, three days later he rose again with all power in his hands. He snatched the keys to death, hell, and the grave so we would have the opportunity to hear, “Well done though good and faithful servant, enter into the glory of the Lord.”

Don’t put yourself in a position to hear, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”. Make the ever important decision today, right now to receive Christ as your Savior, to make him Lord of your life. There’s no better day than today, there’s no better time than now.

Take away that #1 reason you miss your blessing here on earth and give your life to Jesus, become a member of the family so you have access to your blessings. Salvation opens the door to a whole new world, a whole new life. It just takes a prayer.

Father I confess I’m a sinner, please forgive me. Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, that you died for my sins. I believe you rose again and now sit at the right hand of the Father praying for me. I give you me, please come into my heart and be Lord of my life. In your name I pray. Amen

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, congratulations and welcome to the family, you just took one of your blessings out of the box. Now, to learn how to access more, find a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area so you can learn how to access more of God and the blessings will come.

If you live in the Douglasville, GA area please come see us at 3500 Hwy 5, where we have Sunday school at 8:45 and Worship service begins at 10:00. If you desire prayer email us at [e-mail] or go to our website lovechristianctr.org and complete the prayer request form.

Lift up your head, and experience the glory of the Lord. Ask for what you need he’s listening.