Living Courageously

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 lifted off from LaGuardia Airport like any other routine flight. But just three minutes later, disaster struck—both engines were knocked out after colliding with a flock of geese. Suddenly, 155 souls were caught in a moment of crisis at 3,000 feet.

What happened next became one of the most inspiring stories of courage in modern times.

Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger radioed in the now-famous words: “We’re gonna be in the Hudson.” 

With no engines and only seconds to decide, he executed a water landing in the icy Hudson River—something pilots are trained to avoid at all costs. Yet against all odds, every single passenger survived.

It wasn’t just skill.

It was calm resolve, clarity under pressure, and the courage to act—even with fear pounding in his chest.

What Is Courage? Courage is often tied to strength and confidence—but it’s so much more than that. The word courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning “heart” or “spirit.”

At its core, courage is

about how we “keep heart” when disappointment, hardship, or fear threaten to undo us.

We tend to picture courage in big, dramatic moments—like Sully’s landing on the Hudson. But most of the time? Courage shows up in the small, quiet acts of everyday life.

It’s the parent who keeps loving and guiding a child through the growing pains. …It’s the teacher who keeps showing up for her students, even on the hardest days. It’s starting over after a failure.

Courage isn’t about being fearless. It’s about taking the next step—even when your knees are shaking.

As someone once said:

“Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” – Anonymous

This morning we’re continuing our series, “Summer in the Psalms.” Today we’re talking about Living Courageously.

And what I love about the Psalms is this: they’re not neat and tidy. They don’t try to be polite or sanitized. They don’t tell us to pull it together or hide the messy parts of our lives. Instead…

They give us words and images big enough to carry our joy, our anger, our gratitude, our doubts, and our worship. They remind us that courage doesn’t start with us trying harder. It starts with us coming honestly before God and depending fully on Him.

T/s So how do we live with courage?

1. KEEP FOCUSING ON WHO GOD IS.

We’ve all had those moments when we lose focus, haven’t we?

You’re driving along, and your mind starts wandering—thinking about that tough conversation you had, or the project deadline …some thing need a to be done...

Next thing you know… you’ve blown right past your exit.

What happened? You list focus... You got fixated on the wrong things.

Life’s like that too. What we focus on shapes everything—our emotions, our decisions, even our faith.

But..focus is a choice..

There’s an old saying: “You can look at the donut… or the donut hole in the donut.”

You can focus on what’s there—or what’s missing. You can dwell on God’s blessings—or you can spiral into what you think He hasn’t done yet.

Courage begins with focus.

Psalm 27 reminds us to fix our eyes on the right thing—on the One who holds us steady when everything else is shaking.

We’re not told the exact occasion for this psalm. But many scholars believe David may have written it during one of the darkest seasons of his life—when his own son Absalom betrayed him, stole the hearts of the people, and forced David out of Jerusalem.

Imagine that heartbreak. Not just the pain of losing a throne—but the anguish of a father whose son has turned against him.

And yet in the middle of that chaos, David writes these words—not as someone with a trouble-free life, but as someone who learned where to look when trouble came.

Let’s read the first section of our text together:

Psalm 27:1–6 ESV

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? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing have I asked 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 gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

David begins by focusing on who God is:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?

Notice the personal language: my light… my salvation… my stronghold.

When David calls God his light,

he’s picturing the dawn—…that first break of light that pierces the darkness.

God’s light is like that. It shatters the long night. It brings salvation and deliverance.

No matter how long your night has been, God is your deliverer…

When David consider God’s Deliverance… he responds…

“Whom shall I fear?”

David then goes on to describe

The Lord as his stronghold—his fortress, his safe place. God Himself is the barrier between David and his enemies.

David again repeats:

“Whom shall I fear?”

But don’t miss this—It is not that… David is naive about the dangers around him. He doesn’t sugarcoat reality. He’s honest about his adversaries:

He understands that his Enemies want to devour him…

What David is saying is so relatable..

We have all had times when it feels like life is closing in on us… Some times it’s circumstances.. … sometimes it is relational …others …

The enemy loves to use others to discourage us. Something that is said.. or an attitudes or assumption..

these words can eat away at us.. but

but… “When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.”

David then takes this thought further …He esculated his troubles.. from words to actions..

“Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.”

David says whether it is just one or a whole army.. he is still going to be confident… why because…the lord is his salvation..

I found t his qoute..is

John and Rebecca Kruyswijks devotional on the NT....

“When we struggle, it’s easy to focus on the Leviathans in our life, but God wants us to focus on His majesty.” —John D. Barry & Rebecca Kruyswijk

We learn from David that Instead of obsessing over size of our enemy focus on who God is..

David learned the power of focus—the ability to tune out the distractions, the threats, the what-ifs—and fix his eyes on one thing.

In Navy SEAL training, particularly during the grueling Hell Week,

trainees face intense physical and mental challenges that can feel completely overwhelming.

But they’re taught a powerful mindset to help them endure:

 To focus only on the next step or the next evolution.

If a trainee tries to think about making it through all of Hell Week at once, it’s too much to bear.

Instead, the instructors tell them to break it down.. “just make it to breakfast” or “just get through this next swim”.

One step at a time, one moment at a time, they press on.

By narrowing their focus to the immediate task, the impossible becomes manageable.

Instead of getting overwhelmed by his enemies and the battles around him, David fixed his eyes on one thing—

Psalm 27.4

Psalm 27:4 ESV

4 One thing have I asked 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 gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

David’s chooses to fill his mind with the one thing ..he..delights of who God is,

Gods beauty…

We waste so much energy worrying about what others think, what others say, what others do. David gives us a higher road:

He desires God’s presence.

He goes to the courts of the King.

In God’s palace, he finds shelter.

Psalm 27:5 ESV

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

We need to be careful not to let our circumstances dictate the outcome of our faith.

Here’s the beautiful thing about prayer: you can be anywhere and still find shelter. Even in the middle of chaos, you can be surrounded—not by fear, but by God’s presence.

David says, “God lifts me higher.”

Psalm 27:6

“And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.”

This is a call to courageous faith—not because the storm has passed, but because the God of the storm is with us. .

That is where you find your song and your joy!

T/S How Do I live with courage.

1. KEEP FOCUSED ON WHO GOD IS.

2. KEEP ON SEEKING GOD’S WAYS.

I’ve been reading a little book called Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney. It’s short, easy to read—and incredibly helpful.

In the book he deals with the struggle of prayer…

It’s not that we don’t believe or value prayer..

But often We find prayer challenging…we easilly loose focus..

Sometimes the problem is our minds wander… we start to think about all the things that are done or undone…

We find ourselves saying the same words, the same phrases, over and over. And before long, prayer starts to feel like we’re just going through the motions.

Whitney’s solution? Pray the Bible—especially the Psalms. After all, the Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible.

Psalm 27 i is written as a prayer… and extremely helpful..

In our text... David is surrounded by enemies…he is hiding in caves.. yet

He is able to find refuge in prayer..

One of the mistakes we make is we become satisfied with an sub par prayer life..

David wasn’t satisfied with a average prayer time…

David needed an audience with God. He needed answers. He needed courage.

And in this Psalm, he pours out his heart in a way that gives us a model for our own prayers…

Psalm 27:7–12 ESV

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 8 You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” 9 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! 10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.

I grew up during the bush was in Rhodesia..and my dad was part of the reserves…we often faced dangers.. our town was attacked…

It’s interesting what happens in troubling times..people began to seek after God..

The church.. during the war time was a revival of prayer..

the church was open at 5.30am people were praying.. the church was packed ..

Here is the problem..

We tend to leave prayer as a last resort..

David found a himself facing troubles and adversities—- he turns to prayer..

Notice that David prays out a Loud —

We often pray out loud in corporate prayer or when asked to give a blessing… but David is all alone and cried out aloud With his voice…

David uses three imperatives.

HEAR - my cry

BE GRACIOUS to me

ANSWER ME..

First David reminds God of His Word a r what he has said about prayer..

Psalm 27:8 ESV

8 You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

This idea of “seeking God’s face” runs deep through Scripture.

When God called Israel to be His people,

He knew they would face challenges the y would fail..…and so He gave them a simple but profound pattern for restoration:

2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This wasn’t a one-time promise. It reflected God’s consistent heart throughout the covenant.

Even back in Deuteronomy, before Israel ever entered the Promised Land, God prepared them for the possibility of failure:

When the y missed up.. week God..

Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV

29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Think about that—God knew they would stumble.

He knew they would turn away. Yet God promised…a way back.. David in prayer..

repeats back to God His own words: “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’”

This is what it means to stand on the promises of God’s Word—to remind Him of what He has said.

Now don’t get me wrong—it’s not because God is forgetful. He knows exactly what He has spoken.

The reminding is for our benefit. It anchors us.

It strengthens our faith.

When we seek His face, He will answer.

Psalm 27:9 ESV

Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

Do you remember the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”? When contestants were stuck on a question, they could use a lifeline—

“Phone a Friend.”

Here’s the good news: when you cry out to God, you’re calling the One who always knows the answer. He never leaves you hanging.

He will make the crooked paths straight!

Then David says teach me your way in verse eleven..

Psalm 27:11 ESV

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Harry Ironside once pointed out how Psalms 25–29 form a kind of pattern—each one showing us the grounds of confidence before God.

For example:

Psalm 26:12 (ESV) My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

then here again..

Psalm 27:11 (ESV) Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

There’s a unity of thought here. The one who places his confidence in God stands on level ground—whether in the temple or surrounded by enemies.

I’ve got a little level at home that’s saved me on countless projects. You know the kind—a simple tool with a bubble in the middle. You’re hanging a picture, putting up a shelf, or trying to make sure that new project actually lines up straight.

Here’s the thing about using a level: sometimes it doesn’t look right to your eye. You stand back, squint, tilt your head, and think, “No way. That’s off.” But the level says it’s straight.

And in that moment, you have a choice—trust your own sense of balance, or trust the tool designed to keep you on track.

Life doesn’t always feel level. It doesn’t always look straight.

But God’s Word and God’s character are like that level—they keep us building straight, even when everything in us wants to lean to one side.

It’s not about trusting your feelings or your perspective. It’s about trusting Him—the One who sees the whole picture.

Living courageously means..

Keep me Focused on who you are

Help me keep seeking your ways..

3. KEEP LOOKING FOR GOD’S WORKINGS.

One of the key skills in Bible study is observation—learning to really see what’s there in the text.

Some of you who’ve been in Frank bible studies..

may have heard him tell the story about the professor and the students who had to study… a fish.

If you know the story, you know how it goes. The professor gave each student a fish and said, “Study it.” 

No instructions. No questions to answer. Just “Study the fish.” And when the students thought they were done, he’d say, “Look again.”Over and over. Until they started noticing details they’d completely missed before….

This kind of careful observation is so important—not just for Bible study, but for how we see God’s work in our lives.

You see, God has revealed Himself not only in His Word—the Bible that we study carefully—but also in creation itself, in nature,

—God also reveals himself in real time in the mix and moments of life..

But here’s the thing: if we don’t slow down and observe carefully, we miss it. We miss seeing God’s fingerprints all around us.

David says..

Psalm 27:13–14 ESV

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

David says I believe… that I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living..

To be honest.

. this can be challenging..

When we look at the world around us—the headlines, the division, the pain—and it’s easy to start saying, “Where’s God’s goodness in all this?”

As I was thinking about this … I was reminded of when ..

Moses was coming down Mount Sinai, carrying the stone tablets—the very commandments of God—when he hears the sound of singing in the camp. But it’s not worship. It’s a party. And when Moses sees what’s going on, his jaw drops.

The people of Israel—after all they’ve seen, all God’s done for them—they’ve taken their gold, melted it down, and turned it into a golden calf. An idol. And now they’re dancing around it in full-blown rebellion.

Moses is so stunned, so angry, that he throws down the tablets and they shatter on the ground.

At this point, if you or I were God, we’d probably say, “That’s it. I’m done. I delivered you from Egypt, I split the sea for you, I fed you in the wilderness, and this is how you repay me?”

But that’s not what God does.

Instead, He tells Moses to carve out two new tablets and come back up the mountain. And there—on Mount Sinai again—God descends in a cloud of glory.

And what does He say? He doesn’t thunder with wrath. He doesn’t unload His disappointment. He proclaims His name:

Exodus 34:6–7 ESV

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Do you see it? Right after one of the darkest, most disappointing moments in Israel’s story—God chooses to reveal His goodness.

And that’s what brings me back to Psalm 27.

David says, “I believe I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

That’s not wishful thinking. That’s not naïve optimism. That’s courage.

Courage to say, “Even here, in the middle of my mess, I will look for His goodness.”

Courage to say, “Even in this broken culture, I will trust His hand is still at work.”

Courage to believe, “The God who was faithful then is still faithful now.”

David isn’t talking about someday in heaven. He’s talking about here. Today. The land of the living.

And isn’t what courage looks like?

Choosing to believe before you see how the story ends. Choosing to fix your eyes on God’s goodness even when the world feels upside down.

So David says:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Waiting isn’t passive. It’s not sitting with folded arms.

It’s leaning forward in expectation—

like a runner in the blocks,

like a watchman on the wall—trusting that God’s timing is perfect even when ours feels all wrong.

Conclusion

So maybe today you feel surrounded by fear. Maybe your enemies aren’t armies but anxieties, regrets, or an uncertain future.

Here’s David’s reminder: The God who was faithful yesterday will not fail you today.

The God who carried you through the last storm will anchor you in this one.

So… wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord.

David is inviting us into in Psalm 27.

—to Trust God…

David doesn’t say, “Try harder. Dig deeper.

But rather be strong and courageous..

Several years ago, I found myself stuck on a decision. I kept avoiding it—not because I didn’t care, but because I didn’t want to rock the boat.

I thought, “Maybe if I just wait a little longer, it’ll work itself out.”

 But deep down, I knew God was nudging me to step out.

So I reached out to a pastor for advice. He said something simple and profound is that’s stuck with me ever since:

“All you need is 15 seconds of courage.”

Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to make the phone call.

To step out in faith. To say yes to God’s leading—even when your knees are shaking…Courage is often about taking small steps in the right direction..

So… Wait. Be strong. Take courage. And don’t lose heart.

Closing Prayer:

Father, we thank You for being our light, our salvation, and our stronghold. You have never failed us—not once—and we trust You to be faithful again.

For those today facing fear, doubt, or uncertainty—fill their hearts with Your peace. Teach us to wait on You with courage. Give us the strength to take the next step, to trust You even when we can’t see the whole path.

Remind us that You are enough, and You are with us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Benediction:

And now—may the Lord be your light and your salvation. May He be the stronghold of your life. Be strong. Let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord—and watch for His goodness in the land of the living.

Go in peace and courage, trusting in Him.