THE REMEDY TO WORRY - PSALM 27:1-3

Christian Standard Bible (Psalm 27) Psalm 27-MY STRONGHOLD-Of David.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom should I dread?2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me, I will still be confident.

BIG IDEA: THE REMEDY TO WORRY IS CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD!

AS WE BRING OUR WINNING THE WAR WITHIN SERIES TO A CONCLUSION THIS WEEK, I WAS LED TO THE PSALMS...

THE PSALMS CAPTURE THE CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE OF FAITH FACE:

ATTACKS OF ENEMIES

FINDING HOPE IN DIFFICULTY

WAITING UPON GOD’S TIMING

THE PSALMS HAVE IT ALL. IN FACT, HERE’S A QUESTION: WHAT CHALLENGE DO YOU FIND YOURSELF OR YOUR FAMILY FACING AT THIS VERY MOMENT? THINK ABOUT IT. CAPTURE IT.

WHATEVER THE SITUATION OR SEASON THAT FLOODED YOUR MIND, YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS: WORRY UNTIL FEAR HAS OVERTAKEN YOU (CONSUMED YOU), OR TRUST IN THE LORD!

YOU SEE, BELOVED, THE MORE I’VE DUG INTO THE MEAT OF WORRY, I HAVE GROWN TO REALIZE THAT THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY OUR ONLY TWO OPTIONS.

(WORRY OR TRUST)

BELIEVERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE. THEY ARE HEIRS: SONS & DAUGHTERS OF THE MOST HIGH, THEY HAVE THE WORD AS THEIR GUIDE, THE SPIRIT AS THEIR STRENGTH, AND THE SAVIOR AS THEIR MEDIATOR… AND YET, BELIEVERS (MORE OFTEN THAN NOT), LIVE LIVES OF FRET, FEAR AND WORRY.

Fear, Child’s

A little boy had a part in the school play that read, “It is I; be not afraid.” He came out on stage and said, “It’s me and I’m scared.”

ARE YOU IN A SIMILAR PLACE AS THIS LITTLE BOY? YOU KNOW YOUR LINES (OR THE WORD OF GOD), YET WHEN YOU SPEAK OR RESPOND, ALL YOU CAN SAY IS, “IT’S ME AND I’M SCARED.”

PSALM 27 IS A MOST PROFOUND PSALM, WHEREIN DAVID FINDS HIMSELF UNDER ATTACK - OVERWHELMED - AND IN NEED OF DELIVERANCE...

COME HERE KING JAMES VERSION:

King James Version (Psalm 27)

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.

DAVID’S PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD HAS GIVEN HIM CONFIDENCE AND COMFORT...

THE LORD IS MY.... (LIGHT, SALVATION, STRONGHOLD)

BELOVED, WHEN YOU KNOW THE LORD AS YOUR LIGHT, SALVATION, & STRONGHOLD, SAYS DAVID, YOU HAVE A LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE THAT PUTS ENEMIES OR WORRIES IN THEIR PLACE!

LIGHT IN SCRIPTURE IS EQUIVALENT TO SALVATION OR RESCUE...

DAVID IS AFFIRMING THAT THE LORD SHINES SAFETY IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS AND DANGER...

STRONGHOLD: HELMET - WE GET UP UNDER HIM AND GOD PROTECTS.

BIG IDEA: THE REMEDY TO WORRY IS CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD!

NOT ONLY: DAVID’S PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD HAS GIVEN HIM CONFIDENCE AND COMFORT…(ALSO)

DAVID’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH VICTORY (FROM GOD) REMINDS HIM OF GOD’S POWER!

Christian Standard Bible (Psalm 27)

2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.

DAVID IS DECLARING, “WHEN THEY CAME FOR ME, THEY COULDN’T TOUCH ME!”

WHEN THEY PLOTTED, IT FAILED!

THIS WAS DAVID’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE...

HE REFLECTED UPON WHAT HAPPENED, WHICH GAVE HIM CONFIDENCE WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING.....

AWW BELOVED, HAVEN’T YOU SEEN HOW THE ENEMY ATTEMPTS TO OVERRIDE YOUR MEMORY WITH THE CURRENT CRISIS?

IT’S SUBTLE, YET EFFECTIVE!

AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU’RE SAYING STUFF LIKE, “I DON’T KNOW HOW I’M GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS.”

“AIN’T NO WAY, THIS IS GONNA WORK OUT.”

BELOVED, DON’T ALLOW THE PRESENT PREDICAMENT TO OVERSHADOW GOD’S PAST VICTORIES....

THE SONGWRITER SAID: THROUGH MANY DANGERS, TOILS AND SNARES, I HAVE ALREADY COME. TWAS GRACE THAT BROUGHT ME SAFE THUS FAR, AND GRACE.....WILL LEAD ME HOME!!!

IT’S SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE, THOUGH, THAT DAVID UNDERSTANDS THE PROPENSITY OF PEOPLE TO FRET:

VS. 1 - WHOM SHOULD I FEAR? WHOM SHOULD I DREAD?

VS. 3 - MY HEART WILL NOT BE AFRAID....

YOU SEE: FEAR IS AN OPTION! BUT DON’T LET IT BE YOUR CHOICE!

WE CAN LOOK AT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES - OUR OPPOSITION - OUR DIFFICULTY....AND THEREBY CHOOSE TO WORRY OR FEAR!

OR, WE CAN LOOK AT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, IN LIEU OF OUR PAST VICTORIES WITH GOD, AND CHOOSE CONFIDENCE!

LIVE IN THE LIGHT

Christian Standard Bible (Psalm 27)

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom should I dread?

OUR ENEMIES (THOSE AREAS OF POTENTIAL WORRY) WANT TO DRAG US INTO DARKNESS…DRAG US INTO THE DARKNESS OF DOUBT. IF THEY CAN GET US TO WORRY ABOUT THE UNKNOWN, THEN THEY CAN GET US TO FORSAKE THE LIGHT OF THE LORD…(((LIVE IN THE LIGHT))))…

IT’S ALMOST A DAILY TUG-OF-WAR! DARKNESS PULLS US WITH WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS - SOCIAL AND POLITICAL UNREST - RACISM GUISED AS PATRIOTISM…DARKNESS PULLS…BUT AWWWW, LIGHT LIFTS!

THE LORD AND HIS LIGHT LIFT US ABOVE THE FRAY OF FEAR, AND ALLOW US LIVE IN CONFIDENCE OF WHO HE IS AND OF WHAT HE’S CAPABLE OF….

AND IF I WERE TO BOOKEND THIS PASSAGE WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT AFFIRMATION THAT WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD…I SUBMIT THAT WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE THOSE GODLY TORCH BEARERS FOR OUR CHURCH, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY!

WHEN THEY THROW FEAR, WE SHOULD THROW FAITH!

WHEN THEY THROW DARKNESS, WE SHOULD THROW LIGHT!

WHEN THEY THREATEN, WE SHOULD LIFT…LIGHT LIFTS!!!

LIVE IN THE LIGHT….

STAND AND WATCH

Christian Standard Bible (Psalm 27)

2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.

DAVID IS DECLARING, “WHEN THEY CAME FOR ME, THEY COULDN’T TOUCH ME!”

WHEN THEY PLOTTED, IT FAILED!

HERE‘S THE DEAL: OUR RESPONSE TO EVIL IS NOT TO OUTDO EVIL!

DAVID WAS AWAITING THEIR ATTACK, PARENTHETICALLY, DAVID SAYS “MY FOES & MY ENEMIES,” WHICH SUGGEST THIS WASN’T NECESSARILY A NATIONAL ATTACK, BUT A PERSONAL ONE…AT ANY RATE, AS DAVID WAITED, FISTS CLINCHED, EYES CLOSED, FULLY BRACED….THEY STUMBLED AND FELL…

WE’RE AWAITING THE DEATH-BLOW FROM OUR ENEMY OR FROM THAT HORRIBLE SITUATION - WE’RE BRACING FOR IT….I SUBMIT THAT WE’LL DISCOVER THAT AS WE STAND AND WATCH IN THE CONFIDENCE OF OUR GOD, HOWEVER THE ATTACK IS APPLIED WON’T BE NEARLY AS WE IMAGINE!

LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, “JUST WATCH.”

THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU…AND IT’S PERSONAL!!! THEY’RE PLOTTING AND CHATTING - SCHEMING AND PLANNING! THEY’VE SHOWN THEIR HAND…BUT YOU JUST WATCH!!!

EXITING COLORADO…AN ERRADIC DRIVER STOPPED AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP, CAUSING ALL OF US TO SLAM ON OUR BREAKS…

I COULD SEE THE WHITE SUV IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR…THIS WAS IT.

THAT ACCIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE ME CALLING, “I JUST GOT HIT.COM!”

I COULDN’T GO FORWARD OR TO THE SIDE…

IMPACT WAS IMMINENT…

I CLINCED MY STEARING WHEEL…ENVISIONING POSSIBLE WHIPLASH.

WOULD I HAVE TO GET IN THE AMBULANCE? WOULD MY CAR BE TOTALED?

I LITERALLY CLOSED MY EYES AND SHRUGGED MY SHOULDERS…I HEARD THE TIRES SCREACH!!!

THEN NOTHING….WHEN I OPENED MY EYES, THE SISTER IN THE WHITE SUV WAS LOOKING AT ME LIKE “MOVE!”

THAT THAT I WAITED FOR - THE IMPACT - NEVER HAPPENED…

TRUST AND BE CONFIDENT

Christian Standard Bible (Psalm 27)

3 Though an army deploys against me,my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me,I will still be confident.

NOW THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE COMING FOR YOU…DAVID SAID EVEN IF AN ARMY DEPLOYES AGAINST ME….

OUR CONFIDENCE MUST BE IN THE LORD, AND NOT IN THE ABILITY OF OUR ENEMY…

PASTOR ISAAC SODA TAUGHT ME THAT FEAR IS ACTUALLY FAITH IN THE ENEMY.

FEAR DECLARES THAT OUR ENEMY HAS MORE MIGHT THAN OUR GOD!

THAT OUR ENEMY HAS POWER THAN OUR GOD…IT’S A LIE, BELOVED!!!

BE CONFIDENT IN THE LIGHT AND SALVATION OF THE LORD…TRUST AND BE CONFIDENT…NOT COCKY IN OUR OWN STRENGTH, BUT CONFIDENT IN GOD’S STRENGTH…IT’S OK TO BRAG ON GOD, THOUGH! BOAST IN HIS ABILITY. HIS MIGHT. HIS WILL. HIS STRENGTH…

Tony Evans Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Intimacy, Power Of)

INTIMACY, POWER OF - ONE time a dog was chasing my oldest granddaughter. She was only about four or five years old. She was just terrified. Now, I don’t think that dog was going to do anything to her but she didn’t know that. She was crying and screaming as she made her way to me as fast as her little legs would carry her. She was yelling my name, “Poppy! Poppy! Poppy!” That little girl was in a complete state of terror. I ran to meet her and gathered her up in my arms. She was huffing, heaving, and puffing, totally out of breath.The dog ran up to me, stopped just short, and started barking away. The advance had ended. My granddaughter looked up at me and noticed that the dog was no longer a threat. She looked down at the dog, and then she looked up at me. She looked back down at the dog, and with a new verve and vigor, she said, “Na-na-nana-na!”Intimacy breeds confidence. When you are close to someone whom you love who has a lot more power than you do, you can piggyback.499[Father God; Fear]Ps. 27:1–3