True Confidence

Psalm 27 t, m True confidence The life of David, both before he became king of Israel as well as after, was one that was characterised by a great deal of conflict. And, yes, there were many glorious victories on his part but also there was a good deal of violence, opposition, and persecution that always seemed to be aimed at him. For example even as a boy shepherd, whilst alone amongst the sheep, he's have been prey to the weather, the cold nights, being under threat from the wild animals that roamed around looking out for any straggling lambs to devour. And later on, no sooner had he won his famous victory over the Philistine giant, Goliath, than he became the object of Saul's jealousy ... resulting in the king's failed attempts to murder him twice and then in David's flight for his life into the desert. Followed by years spent as an outlaw being constantly pursued by Saul and his army, often coming within inches of losing his life. And even after Saul's death, and he himself being declared King, David still had to fight off the threats of those who remained loyal to memory of the old king. After that, once he'd firmly established his kingdom, and was secure in his position, well the conflict didn't end there either mainly because of David's great sin concerning Uriah the Hittite and his wife Bathsheba. That time when the King's lust for Bathsheba led him to have Uriah killed and then to take the now widowed Bathsheba as his own wife ... which of course brought God's judgement down upon him. So that in his later years his own Son, Absalom, took up arms against him, intending to take over the kingdom by force ... and David had to again flee for his life. This then is the scenario that forms the background to our psalm, Psalm 27, this morning. A psalm that was written by David himself. Now you'd have thought maybe that, in view of the life experiences which we've touched upon, this man David would come across in his words, as he reflected back on all that he'd been through, as one who'd become wearied and disillusioned, cowed and guilt ridden perhaps, even bitter. And yet of course this isn't the case. Instead we find a man who's full of confidence, full of optimism, a man who declares in verses 2 and 3 of our passage that: "When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident." And, if we didn't have verse 1 to refer to then we'd probably jump to the conclusion that what we have here is the case of a ruler who's obviously become too high and mighty for his own good ... far too big for his own boots. But then when we read verse 1 we discover the actual reason for this great confidence. Because there David tells us: "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?" And we see he's learned from his experiences. In other words as he's grown older, and found himself in many different situations, David hasn't simply dealt with each problem and then, putting it behind him, moved on to the next one. Instead all the time he's been considering how God has empowered him in those situations, how the Lord has protected him, and how he's enabled him to come through to the other side. Such that, for example, when reflecting on his great fight with Goliath, the apparently weak against the strong, he'll have remembered how it was the Lord who strengthened his knees, his arm and his eye. And when considering his flight from Saul he'll have considered how it was God who directed him throughout his wanderings to places of safety, how he brought others to his aid, and how he always enabled him, somehow, to be one step ahead of those who wanted him dead. He's learned in fact to do what Samuel, the one who'd anointed David, had urged the whole people of Israel to do when making his farewell speech to them years before. When he'd said in 1 Samuel chapter 12 verse 24: "Be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you." I wonder, do we learn similar lessons? Have we learned from our past experiences how good and faithful the lord has been to us then? Or do we prefer to think, as indeed many do, that we make our own good and bad fortune ... that we're in charge of our own destinies? Or do we choose to take the fatalist's approach to the unknown present and future ... presenting a brave face, telling ourselves that good or bad things are going to happen whatever do or think, that what will be will be? Or, do we remember Jesus' words in Luke chapter 12 when he says: "consider the Ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" That doesn't mean that we're to assume, mind you, that, because God has blessed us in certain ways the past, he'll automatically continue to do so in the future. Perhaps that's a way of thinking that we can all be in danger at times of falling into. For example we think back to times past when the Church in our land or even our own church was thriving and we feel aggrieved that this isn't still the case today. This wasn't the way with David though because, although his words in Psalm 27 show him to be supremely confident of Gods continuing love and protection, he doesn't take that love and protection for granted, he hasn't become overly confident. Instead he recognises that his close walk with God and God's blessing of him are inextricably linked. He no doubt is aware of Gods words spoken through Moses as found in Exodus chapter 19 verse 5 when he said: "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." And neither does David give his obedience to the Lord grudgingly, fearing the consequences of not doing so, or because he feels he deserves a reward for doing so. Instead, in Psalm 34 verse 8, he urges us to: "Taste and see that the Lord is good"; something that he's able to say because he's done just that ... he has tasted and he has seen. So that in verse 4 of our psalm he's able to write: "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life," In other words, as a result of his long consideration of the Lords activity throughout his life, God, and the things of him, have become David's passion such that to be more involved with him, to know him more fully, in the words of one commentator have become for the psalmist, "the ruling desire of his heart," "the leading object of his life." Notice too that David has come to realise that God is with him where ever he goes. Not only in his dwelling place (verse 5), where one would have expected to meet him, but even "upon a rock", a rock perhaps such as that where David hid within a cave whilst hiding from Saul. So too today we are assured, by Jesus himself, that where two or three are gathered together in his name, he is there in the midst. In other words we don't only need to be in church on a Sunday to know God's presence with us. Those of us who feel able at this time are looking forward to entering the church once more for worship in a fortnight's time. But I wonder, what do we feel when we come to church? What are our motives for doing so? What do we hope to get from our time there? For David, we see that coming into God's presence is something that's exciting, a time when he can: "gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek him in his temple". When he can shout for joy, can sing and make music. Which is surely how it should be? The same commentator I quoted from before makes the point: "How can a man be prepared for an eternal heaven who finds the worship of God on earth irksome and tedious?" and again, addressing the service we might sit through, "How awful it is to leave a church feeling worse than when you went in." A word of warning, surely, for those of us who seek to actually lead a service! As we move on to verses 7 to 12 of the psalm we find David's confidence and joy in God causing him to respond in the only right way; as he turns to prayer. And as we follow his prayer so we learn about how we as God's children should also pray. Because here we find that, just as he's praised the Lord for his past faithfulness, so now he brings to him his present troubles. Although once more he takes nothing for granted. Instead David comes before the Lord in great humility ... and yet at the same time with certainty in his heart that only He can help him. You see he recognises that by rights he's completely unworthy to come before God. That, were it not for the Lord's graciousness towards him, his inevitable fate would be to be totally rejected by him. And so David begs, fearfully (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, O God my Saviour." An attitude that's reminiscent, isn't it, of the tax collector in Jesus' parable on prayer in Luke chapter 18, who didn't dare to come before God because of his awareness of his own sinfulness? Or of Peter, after Jesus had miraculously enabled him to catch a huge amount of fish, when he fell on his knees before him saying, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" In the same way the king of Israel here acknowledges his unworthiness. But then David also remembers Gods faithful promises, remembers his gracious love for his creation, remembers that even if the ones closest to him in this world, his father and mother, should reject him, God won't. And this, of course, despite the fact that God has far more reason than they have to do so! Such that, in verses 11 and 12 of our psalm, David is encouraged to now bring his requests before the Lord. Asking him to protect him from all those who're rising up against him. Recognising, at the same time, his own need to be walking faithfully in God's will if he's to hope that his prayers will be answered. Then, in verse 13, David rises from prayer, once more filled with confidence and saying: "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living". His hope you see isn't just for the next world, when all will be well, but for this life too, irrespective of what his circumstances might be telling him. And perhaps he remembers the Lord's words to him in 2 Sam. Chapter 7, when God promised to bless the house and kingdom of David such that it might continue for ever. A promise that we now know that God has fulfilled through "David's greater son", Jesus Christ our Lord. So David then, is confident that God will fulfil his promises to him. But then, that being so, how much greater should our confidence be? Because we have before us a whole Bible, God's word, which is packed full of promises to us, promises that come with God's guarantee. Such that, for example, when we knock the door will be opened; when we come heavy laden he will give us rest; when we pray in his name believing, our prayers will be answered; if our faith is but the size of a mustard seed then nothing will be impossible for us; such that God is building his church and not even the gates of hell will stand against it. And this is only just scratching the surface such that I'm sure that were we to take the time to read up on, and memorise, as many of God's promises to us as we are able then our faith, our confidence and our Christian walk would be greatly improved. Now, there's a challenge for us all. Finally, in verse 14, David, his own faith so much strengthened by his experiences of the God who is fully faithful to all his promises, confidently recommends that all others should do the same. And in doing this he's actually a forerunner of all those who've obeyed what is the natural missionary impulse of everyone who hears and responds to the gospel. Because don't we, time and time again in the gospels read of people who are healed by Jesus and then run about telling others the wonderful news of what he's done for them. And didn't Jesus, with some of his last words, tell his disciples to go into the world preaching the gospel. Not because this was to be a strict religious duty, but because it would be the natural thing to do once they, themselves, had received the Holy Spirit, the stamp and seal of their salvation. To sum up then: Psalm 27 gives us an example of how, in a frightening, threatening world, the person who knows God to be their light and their salvation can and should experience a confidence that, for anyone who doesn't know Him, is simply impossible to understand. It shows us too that this confidence is based entirely on the faithfulness of an almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent and ever loving God. But that it isn't received automatically, rather it's achieved by those who make it their task to humbly seek him, to dwell in his house, to gaze on his beauty. Those who come before him in prayer recognising their weaknesses and failures and yet are not overwhelmed by them but instead cling to his promises. Becoming people who are marked by their desire to share what they've learned with others. Oh may we not be satisfied until we are such as these. Amen