Being Thankful Everyday, While Keeping My Joy
Notes
Transcript
My Confidence is in the Lord
My Confidence is in the Lord
1 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.
In the first division of this Psalm, David speaks of his confidence in the Lord. He speaks here as a man who faces life every day with confidence, enthusiasm, and optimism. He begins with: The Lord.… In the Hebrew, Jehovah is .…
Bedrock for Confidence
Bedrock for Confidence
There we have his bedrock, his foundation, for confidence. He believes that God exists. He believes—he knows—there is a God, and since there is a God there must therefore be answers to life. Then the psalmist used an interesting personal adjective: The Lord is my … , an adjective that means relating to me. David not only believed in the existence of God, but he believed he had a personal connection with this God. This is Bible terminology that we see a number of times. Moses said in
2 The Lord is my strength and song, And he is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; My father’s God, and I will exalt him.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Jeremiah said:
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The writer of Hebrews said:
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Here,
1 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?
And he goes on to make a very bold assertion.
The Basis of Confidence
The Basis of Confidence
There is not one thing—not one thing—we should fear in life (vv. 2–3).
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.
My Closeness to the Lord
My Closeness to the Lord
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 inquire in his temple.
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.
Beholding of Confidence
Beholding of Confidence
Our confidence in the Lord is based on our closeness to the Lord. This was written before the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, so the primary place of worship was at the ancient tabernacle in Gibeon. The tabernacle represented the presence of God among His people, and here David refers to the Tabernacle as: (1) The house of the Lord; (2) the temple; (3) His pavilion; (4) His tabernacle. He is saying: “If I could only do one thing in life, I’d just move to Gibeon and live there near the tabernacle and fellowship with God all day and all night.” In other words, “Lord, I want to dwell with You, to live in Your presence, to be hidden in Your care day and night.”
Bunker of Confidence
Bunker of Confidence
He speaks of God as his hiding place (v. 5). There was a popular movie some time ago entitled “Panic Room” about the special, secure room built into some houses. This is one of the newest fads in home design. Some homeowners are building a high-tech bunker into their homes, capable of withstanding an onslaught. There you can feel safe until help arrives. All of us need a hiding place. We need a place secure from all alarms, a place where we can rest, knowing that everything is going to be all right because our Lord is in control.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Bulls-eye of Confidence
Bulls-eye of Confidence
In addition to being in the bunker, protection, of God’s presence, David would also experience the power of God on his behalf. God would fight for him, granting him victory and exalting him over his enemies (v. 6). When the battle was over, David vowed to joyfully offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to the Lord. Filled with faith in God’s deliverance, he looked forward to triumphantly singing God’s praises in His sanctuary.
My Cry Before the Lord
My Cry Before 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.
9 Hide not thy face far from me; Put not thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help; leave me not, Neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, And lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
Now we come to the third section of this Psalm, and the tone changes.
Burden of the Cry
Burden of the Cry
David’s demeanor changed from confidence to concern. Up to this point, David has been talking about the Lord; now he addresses the Lord personally in prayer: In the first part of this Psalm, David speaks with unbridled confidence. Now he is pleading with God not to leave him or forsake him. First he talks of his confidence in the Lord, then of his closeness to the Lord.
Isn’t it amazing how quickly fear can seize us?
David called on the Lord (v. 7). Notice that he prayed aloud, not silently in his spirit. He asked God to have mercy (chanan) on him—to stoop to help him in his time of desperate need. With little time to spare, he urgently prayed that God would answer him, that He would give His full, immediate attention and grant His help.
David reminded God that he often sought His face. He was not a person who prayed only in times of trouble, who sought only His helping hand but not His face (v. 8). Many people pray only when they desperately need something from God. David’s voice was a familiar one to God: he regularly prayed and sought God’s countenance. David prayed because he desired face-to-face fellowship with the Lord. He loved to be in the Lord’s presence; therefore he obeyed God’s command to seek Him (Dt. 4:29; Ps. 24:6).
Now, in his hour of fear and trouble, David desperately needed to know that God was there. Gripped by fear, he pleaded with God to reveal Himself (v. 9). In Scripture, when God’s face is turned toward us, it is a symbol of His favor and blessing. When He hides His face from us, it means that we are out of fellowship with Him and have forfeited His protection (Dt. 31:17–18; Is. 59:2; Mi. 3:4). David sought assurance that God was not angry with him because of some sin in his life. Never had he fought in his own strength but only with the help of the Lord. His only hope of salvation (deliverance from his enemies) was God (Elohim), the mighty, powerful one. He was David’s helper; He was David’s Savior.
In his hour of fear, David once again spoke in faith, declaring God’s faithfulness. He encouraged himself in the Lord by remembering God’s promise to be always with us
1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
David now uses the most extreme example to convey the unfailing presence of God in his life:
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take me up.
his parents loved him dearly, and, like most parents, they would likely have given their lives for their son. But even if they should abandon him, the Lord would gather him to Himself and take care of him.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, And lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
But as he thinks about that, he begins to feel unworthy. So he comes to confess his sins and to reassure himself that God is a God of mercy and forgiveness. He asks God to teach him to be a healthier, holier, more righteous person (v. 11).
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
David refused to accept the possibility that God would allow him to be destroyed by his foes. Their will was not God’s will. God had revealed His plan for David’s life, and David boldly cried out to the Lord to stop his foes from preventing God’s purpose from coming to pass. They were false witnesses, men who had slandered David for the purpose of turning others against him. Because of his integrity and righteous walk, they found it necessary to create lies about David in order to justify their cruel or violent intentions toward him.
My Counsel From the Lord
My Counsel From the Lord
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed To see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Even as David’s bloodthirsty enemies drew closer, he declared his unwavering faith in the Lord. Notice that I had fainted is in italics, meaning that it is not in the original text but was added by the translators to clarify the verse. David’s confidence in God sustained him against the fear of his rapidly-approaching enemies. He was able to stand against the army that sought his life because the Lord was present with him.
The land of the living is used in the Old Testament in contrast to sheol (hell), the realm of the dead (Jb. 28:13; Ps. 52:5; Is. 38:11; Je. 11:19). David was sure of surviving this attack because of God’s promises to him. The Lord had made a covenant with him, and David believed that God was true to His word. When David referred to the Lord’s goodness, he was not speaking of God’s benevolence or kindness toward him. Rather, he was pointing to God’s attribute of goodness, a facet of His holy character. God is good as opposed to evil: He cannot lie; He cannot fail to keep His covenant. God’s faithfulness to His holy character was David’s sustaining assurance of deliverance from his enemies.
Thought 1. In these verses, God’s Word constructs a course for us to follow when we face a fearful enemy, one that potentially has the power to destroy us: abandonment, some disease, slander, threat, the death of a loved one, a natural disaster, financial devastation, or a host of other crippling circumstances.
We Need to SPAR
First,
Seek the Lord
Seek the Lord
we should turn to the Lord and seek His face. Since Christ’s coming, we are far more blessed than those who lived under the Old Covenant. Old Testament believers had to seek to enter the Lord’s presence. However, when we believe in Christ and receive Him, God’s presence enters into us through His Spirit (Ro. 8:9). No longer does God reside in a sanctuary of stone; our bodies are His temple (1 Co. 3:16; 6:19). His presence is always with us! We do not face trouble alone. Therefore, we should strive to walk in full awareness of God’s constant presence in our lives.
Second,
Pray to God
Pray to God
we should call out to God in prayer, not just when we are in trouble but at all times and in all circumstances, good as well as bad. The Lord longs to be involved in our lives. Certainly, we should cry out to God with all that is in us when we are afraid and need His help. But this should not be the only time that we pray. We should be in constant communication with God, speaking to Him frequently every day of our lives. The Lord longs to fellowship with us—what a glorious privilege (1 Jn. 1:3)! Yet, so often, we ignore the fact that He is within us until we need something from Him. May we, like David, seek His face, not merely His helping hand.
Third,
Acknowledge God’s Faithfulness
Acknowledge God’s Faithfulness
we should declare the faithfulness of God. We must always be careful to speak in faith and not in a spirit of doubt (2 Co. 4:13; Js. 1:6–8). The sword of God’s Spirit, His Holy Word, is effective against Satan when spoken against him and his demonic forces (Ep. 6:18; 2 Co. 10:4–5). This is the example our Savior set for us when He was oppressed by Satan (Mt. 4:1–11).
Finally,
Request God’s Guidance
Request God’s Guidance
we should ask God to guide us through our trouble. He can lead us to victory over every enemy in our lives. Remember, trouble and trials are a part of God’s purpose for our lives. He uses them to mature us as believers and to conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. God even uses the evil things that sinful men do to us, working through those things to accomplish His ultimate purpose, just as he did in Joseph’s life (Ge. 50:20; Ro. 8:28–29). He will clear the way for us to pass safely through the fearful valleys of life. We must seek His guidance and constantly follow Him to victory.
Wait
Wait
14 Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord.
David concludes this encouraging psalm with a word of advice: wait on the Lord. To wait (qavah) on the Lord certainly involves patience; that is, enduring until God chooses to act on our behalf, according to His perfect timing. But it also includes expectation: fully anticipating God to do everything that He has promised. This is also what the word hope usually means in the Bible. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament describes it beautifully and clearly:
Waiting with steadfast endurance is a great expression of faith. It means enduring patiently in confident hope that God will decisively act for the salvation of his people (Genesis 49:18). Waiting involves the very essence of a person’s being, his soul (nepesh Psalm 130:5). Those who wait in true faith are renewed in strength so that they can continue to serve the Lord while looking for his saving work (Isaiah 40:31). There will come a time when all that God has promised will be realized and fulfilled (Isaiah 49:23; Psalm 37:9). In the meantime the believer survives by means of his integrity and uprightness as he trusts in God’s grace and power (Psalm 25:21). His faith is strengthened through his testings, and his character is further developed (Psalm 27:14).
This expectation has the power to overcome fear in our lives, strengthening us in troubling times. We can face every foe—be it a wicked person or a frightening circumstance—with courageous hearts when we believe that God will faithfully do all that He has promised.
Thought 1. God can be trusted. We are His dear children, sons and daughters, for whom He paid the supreme price, the life of His own Son, Jesus Christ. We should be especially encouraged when we remember that nothing is more powerful than the love of God, who gave His Son for us:
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro. 8:31–39).
We must also remember that God acts according to His schedule, not ours. He is never late; rather, He is always on time to accomplish His perfect purpose. Sometimes He allows us to suffer trouble and trials, as He did when Lazarus was sick. Jesus delayed visiting the sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, because He had a greater purpose than healing Lazarus (Jn. 11). God has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives, so we must be patient until God’s perfect work through our trials is completed (Js. 1:2–4). The waiting is the difficult part, but it is in God’s waiting room that He does so much important work in our lives.
In the meantime, we need not be afraid of anything that invades our lives. We can be strong rather than weak, courageous rather than fearful, and encouraged rather than discouraged when trouble comes. God is with us and for us, and He will deliver us when His purpose has been fulfilled. Until He does, we can endure with strength, courage, and hope.