Psalm 27 - I Would Have Lost Heart
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Intro:
Intro:
Good morning.
I was studying for a podcast last week when I came across a couple of verses in Psalms that I thought were really encouraging.
I want to share those with you this morning.
The podcast was an episode dealing with the virtues of resolve and determination.
When the going gets tough, so to speak, it takes grit, it takes determination, and it takes resolve to do the following, as the saying says:
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”
Does that not apply to the Christian life?
The Christian life is the best, blessed life, but there are difficulties involved.
I was reading from James ch. 1 the other night with Lindsey and the kids, and we came across these verses:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
This and other Scriptures clearly show that difficulties WILL arise in the Christian life, but the testing of our faith produces PATIENCE!
In thinking about the testing of our faith this morning, I want to share two verses from Psalms with you: Psalm 27:13
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
9. The sermon title this morning is “I Would Have Lost Heart.”
10. But notice (v. 13) “UNLESS I HAD BELIEVED THAT I WOULD SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD in the land of the living!”
11. When trials come, is it not the case that many:
Give up on God?
Question God?
Turn their back on God?
Begin to doubt that God is active in His creation?
12. We as Christians know that we should never give up on God, really shouldn’t question Him either (although sometimes we might) …
13. We know we should never turn our backs on God, but many do!
14. And we know that God IS active in the affairs of His creation, He answers prayers, He has given us a pattern to follow!
15. … BUT … So many refuse to see or accept it!
16. This morning, I want to spend some time in this Psalm (Psalm 27), and I hope that it will encourage us to keep the faith when the inevitable trials of life come!
BACKGROUND OF THE PSALM:
BACKGROUND OF THE PSALM:
As you can see in your Bible, this is a Psalm of David.
My Bible publisher says this in the form of a heading for this Psalm - “An Exuberant Declaration of Faith.” (I like that).
Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary has this to say about the background:
“Some think David penned this psalm before his coming to the throne, when he was in the midst of his troubles, and perhaps upon occasion of the death of his parents; but the Jews think he penned it when he was old, upon occasion of the wonderful deliverance he had from the sword of the giant, when Abishai succoured him (2 Sam 21 16, 17) and his people thereupon resolved he should never venture his life again in battle, lest he should quench the light of Israel. Perhaps it was not penned upon any particular occasion; but it is very expressive of the pious and devout affections with which gracious souls are carried out towards God at all times, especially in times of trouble.”
Regardless of exactly when David wrote this Psalm, the Psalm itself makes evident that David certainly was “the man after God’s own heart,” which becomes immediately evident when we read it.
THE TEXT:
THE TEXT:
(Read through entire Psalm, then go back verse by verse).
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 we read things like “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7) …
Do we really believe it?
We know David had this mindset — How could he not, when we read about His encounter against Goliath, for instance?!
When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
David appeals to one of the most grotesque things in existence - cannibalism — (in a figure of speech here) to describe the wickedness of his enemies!
Do we view wickedness as the grotesque thing it really is?
And further, make note of the fact that all who are wicked will stumble and fall!
Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.
We are at war!
A spiritual war (Ephesians chapter 6), which means we have to arm ourselves for the fight.
Do soldiers ever get down? Do they sometimes have poor morale that affects their performance on the battlefield?
Yes.
That’s why things like Presidential visits on Thanksgiving, and the USO bringing in concerts for them are important.
They boost morale.
Does the church need a morale boost from time to time?
Yes. We see evil encamped all around us, don’t we?
Evil innumerable!
But then we think about the Christian encampment, and how GOD is at the center of it, and God is in charge!
Listen to the familiar words of the hymn “Faith is the Victory”:
“Encamped along the hills of light, ye Christian soldiers, rise! And press the battle ere the night shall veil the glowing skies. Against the foe in vales below let all our strength be hurled; Faith is the victory, we know, that overcomes the world!”
Don’t forget the words of Jesus - “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
(By the way, Jesus spoke those Words BEFORE He died on the cross — Jesus knew how the story ends!)
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.
Isn’t this a wonderful motto?!
Wouldn’t it be a wonderful motto for all of us who are members of the spiritual temple of the Lord (His church), and have hope to see the Lord in heaven one day?!
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.
Have you ever been outside, perhaps at a park, when there came a sudden downpour?
It sure is nice to have a pavilion to get under, right?!
God is our pavilion! He is our rest! He is our tabernacle, Who keeps us safe!
I came across an old favorite hymn in thinking about this pavilion — “Only in Thee.”
The second verse of that hymn goes like this:
“Only in Thee a radiance bright, shines like a beacon in the night, guiding my pilgrim bark aright, over life’s trackless sea. Only in Thee, when troubles molest, When with temptation I am oppressed. There is a sweet pavilion of rest, only dear Lord, in Thee!”
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.
In the O.T., animal sacrifices were, of course offered to God.
That has been discontinued because Jesus offered His blood once and for all on the cross!
But here we have an O.T. reference to the sacrifices of joy and singing praises to God in the O.T.
This is mentioned also in the N.T. — Hebrews 13:15–16 - “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
Another good Psalm to compare with this would be Psalm 51, where Nathan had confronted David after his sin with Bathsheba.
That Psalm begins in v. 1 - “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness.”
This is a crying out to God for redemption and mercy and help.
When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
If only everybody would hear God’s voice, accept it, and obey it, no questions asked, just like that?!
The world would be a much better place for sure!
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.
In spite of David’s good attitude of accepting the Lord’s will, in spite of him being a man after God’s own heart, the Bible still reveals his numerous mistakes — including his most famous string of mistakes in sinning with Bathsheba, and then the cover-up!
But David knew His God well enough to know that God WOULD turn His face away from him, had he not repented!
Don’t forget that!
That’s why David says so enthusiastically, “Do NOT hide Your face from me! Do NOT turn Your servant away in anger!”
When Nathan the prophet confronted David about the man who had stolen another man’s ewe lamb (2 Sam. 12), and he told David, “THOU art the man!” — That hit David like a ton of bricks!
And David confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord,” and David repented!
When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.
Just a quick point here …
But how many of us elevate our earthly family to the gods of our life, essentially?
Sometimes father and mother may forsake us — I’m reminded that Jesus tells us he who loves father or mother or son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:37).
Father and mother may forsake us if we stay on the Lord’s side … But the Lord will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5)!
Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
This should be all of our attitudes:
“Teach me Your way, O Lord.”
The old hymn says this - “Have Thine OWN way, O Lord, have Thine Own way!”
Isaiah 53:6 says “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his OWN way (instead of God’s way); And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
The Psalm turns dark and bleak for just a moment …
But then we come to our two verses we started with this morning! :)
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
How many times do we lose heart because we forget to believe in the goodness of God and His hand upon the land of the living, — specifically those who are on His side?!
Do not lose heart!
Do not give up!
Do not quit!
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Waiting involves patience!
Patience is a virtue!
Patience is a fruit of the Spirit!
And we must wait on the Lord!
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
I want to leave you with two passages from the N.T. this morning, say something about some Greek, and then the lesson will be yours.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2. “Endurance” — The KJV says “patience.”
3. The Gk. word is hupomone.
4. It means “cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy: enduring, patience, patient continuance or waiting.”
5. And then James 1:2-4 that we looked at earlier — Look at it again:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
6. “The testing of your faith produces patience” - The Gk. word translated as “patience” is — you guessed it — Hupomone, and it means “cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy: enduring, patience, patient continuance or waiting.”
7. Is that our attitude when we face the trials of life?
8. (Invitation).
