WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.790 --> 00:00:05.230 What do you do when fear is real, the circumstances around you are uncertain, 2 00:00:05.410 --> 00:00:07.500 and you don't know what happens next? 3 00:00:08.150 --> 00:00:12.110 Fear has a way of changing our perspective. It can make the problem in front 4 00:00:12.110 --> 00:00:16.360 of us seem bigger than anything else, and it can cause us to focus on what might 5 00:00:16.360 --> 00:00:18.870 happen instead of remembering who God is. 6 00:00:19.430 --> 00:00:24.360 But Psalm 27, it gives us a different perspective. David isn't writing as someone 7 00:00:24.360 --> 00:00:25.790 who's never faced danger. 8 00:00:26.200 --> 00:00:30.460 He speaks about enemies, opposition, warfare, and false witnesses. 9 00:00:30.880 --> 00:00:34.799 Yet in the middle of all that, he makes a remarkable declaration. 10 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:38.630 The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? 11 00:00:39.240 --> 00:00:45.320 David's courage isn't based on the absence of danger. His confidence is anchored in the Lord. 12 00:00:45.870 --> 00:00:50.460 And that's an important distinction for us today. Faith doesn't mean we'll never be afraid. 13 00:00:51.140 --> 00:00:54.870 It means fear doesn't have to determine where we place our trust. 14 00:00:55.400 --> 00:01:00.100 So what does it look like to have faith that triumphs when fear and uncertainty surround us? 15 00:01:00.540 --> 00:01:05.080 Today, we'll walk through Psalm 27 and discover how confidence in God can give 16 00:01:05.080 --> 00:01:08.280 us courage even when our circumstances haven't changed. 17 00:01:08.720 --> 00:01:13.459 This is Faith That Triumphs, today on... 18 00:01:29.780 --> 00:01:35.270 Welcome 19 00:01:35.270 --> 00:01:40.060 to Bible Bytes, the podcast where we work to inspire faith one byte at a time. 20 00:01:40.620 --> 00:01:43.830 I'm your host, Randy Black. I'm an educator, technology specialist, 21 00:01:43.830 --> 00:01:47.050 and podcaster, and I've been a Christian for over three decades. 22 00:01:47.270 --> 00:01:50.320 And I'm glad you've joined me as we continue our journey through the Psalms 23 00:01:50.320 --> 00:01:52.370 together here on Bible Bytes. 24 00:01:53.980 --> 00:01:58.570 In our previous episode, we looked at Psalm 24 and considered what it means 25 00:01:58.570 --> 00:02:01.120 to recognize the Lord as the King of glory. 26 00:02:01.830 --> 00:02:06.240 We were reminded that everything belongs to Him, that He calls us to holiness, 27 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:10.590 and that He is worthy of our worship, our obedience, and our complete surrender. 28 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:15.889 Today, we move from recognizing God's authority in Psalm 24 to trusting God's 29 00:02:15.889 --> 00:02:19.780 presence in the middle of fear and uncertainty in Psalm 27. 30 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:23.980 Psalm 27 gives us a deeply personal look at David's faith. 31 00:02:24.350 --> 00:02:29.000 He's surrounded by enemies and facing circumstances that could naturally produce fear. 32 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:33.510 Yet instead of allowing those circumstances to determine his confidence, 33 00:02:33.970 --> 00:02:37.080 David begins with a declaration about who God is. 34 00:02:37.630 --> 00:02:41.330 The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? 35 00:02:42.070 --> 00:02:46.020 As we walk through this psalm, we're going to see that faith doesn't require 36 00:02:46.020 --> 00:02:48.889 us to pretend that difficult circumstances aren't real. 37 00:02:49.300 --> 00:02:54.710 Instead, faith teaches us where to place our confidence when those circumstances are real. 38 00:02:55.270 --> 00:02:58.320 We're going to consider what it means to face fear by focusing on God, 39 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:02.880 to seek His presence rather than simply His protection, and to continue trusting 40 00:03:02.880 --> 00:03:04.990 Him when we have to wait for His answer. 41 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:08.650 We'll begin by reading Psalm 21 together, and then we'll consider what this 42 00:03:08.650 --> 00:03:13.480 powerful psalm teaches us about having courage anchored in God. 43 00:03:15.130 --> 00:03:19.600 Before we open God's Word together, let's begin with a word of prayer. 44 00:03:21.190 --> 00:03:24.350 Heavenly Father, we come before you today thankful for your Word and for the 45 00:03:24.350 --> 00:03:26.600 opportunity to study it together here again. 46 00:03:27.350 --> 00:03:30.750 Lord, as we open Psalm 27, help us see you more clearly. 47 00:03:31.350 --> 00:03:35.570 When fear and uncertainty surround us, remind us that you are our light, 48 00:03:35.570 --> 00:03:38.800 our salvation, and the strength of our lives. 49 00:03:39.590 --> 00:03:44.830 Help us place our confidence in who you are rather than in the circumstances around us. 50 00:03:45.920 --> 00:03:49.700 Father, teach us to desire your presence about everything else. 51 00:03:50.100 --> 00:03:54.330 When we are tempted to focus only on having our circumstances changed, 52 00:03:54.740 --> 00:03:56.340 draw our hearts back to you. 53 00:03:57.340 --> 00:04:02.610 Give us courage when we are afraid, wisdom when we don't know what to do, 54 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.400 and patience when we are called to wait. 55 00:04:06.050 --> 00:04:09.740 Help us trust your goodness even when we cannot yet see the outcome. 56 00:04:10.480 --> 00:04:14.920 Search our hearts and strengthen our faith. Teach us to walk through uncertainty 57 00:04:14.920 --> 00:04:19.370 with confidence that you are faithful and that we are never beyond your care, 58 00:04:20.060 --> 00:04:24.190 We ask these things in the name of your son, Jesus Christ our savior. Amen. 59 00:04:25.710 --> 00:04:30.070 Our primary scripture today is Psalm 27, a psalm of David. 60 00:04:30.660 --> 00:04:35.700 This is a powerful message about trusting God when fear and uncertainty surround us. 61 00:04:36.500 --> 00:04:40.730 As we read through the psalm, listen for the progression of David's faith. 62 00:04:41.470 --> 00:04:46.279 He begins with confidence in who God is. He then expresses his desire to dwell 63 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:48.520 in God's presence, cries out 64 00:04:48.520 --> 00:04:52.980 to the Lord in prayer, and finally encourages himself to wait on the Lord. 65 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:57.210 Notice that David's circumstances don't simply disappear. 66 00:04:57.820 --> 00:05:02.790 There are enemies, false witnesses, and uncertainty. Yet throughout the psalm, 67 00:05:02.790 --> 00:05:05.580 his confidence remains anchored in God. 68 00:05:06.440 --> 00:05:10.500 Listen especially for the words in verse 1, Whom shall I fear? 69 00:05:11.060 --> 00:05:15.200 And the final command in verse 14, Wait on the Lord. 70 00:05:16.649 --> 00:05:23.330 Psalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? 71 00:05:23.850 --> 00:05:28.510 The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? 72 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:31.240 When the wicked, even mine enemies 73 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:36.620 and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 74 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:41.990 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. 75 00:05:42.410 --> 00:05:46.870 Though war shall rise against me, in this will I be confident. 76 00:05:47.610 --> 00:05:51.540 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, 77 00:05:51.970 --> 00:05:56.040 that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life, 78 00:05:56.310 --> 00:06:00.510 to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. 79 00:06:01.260 --> 00:06:04.630 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion. 80 00:06:05.050 --> 00:06:10.570 In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me, and he shall set me up upon a rock. 81 00:06:11.550 --> 00:06:15.800 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. 82 00:06:16.390 --> 00:06:21.960 Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy. I will sing ye, 83 00:06:22.120 --> 00:06:24.250 I will sing praises unto the Lord. 84 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:30.300 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 85 00:06:30.960 --> 00:06:35.610 When thou saidest, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, 86 00:06:35.810 --> 00:06:38.050 Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 87 00:06:38.610 --> 00:06:44.230 Hide not thy face far from me, but put not thy servant away in anger. 88 00:06:44.880 --> 00:06:50.640 Thou hast been my help, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 89 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:55.310 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 90 00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:01.150 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies. 91 00:07:01.730 --> 00:07:06.770 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies, for false witnesses are risen 92 00:07:06.770 --> 00:07:10.110 up against me, and such as breath out cruelty. 93 00:07:11.060 --> 00:07:17.850 I have fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 94 00:07:18.500 --> 00:07:26.050 Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. 95 00:07:27.350 --> 00:07:33.930 Psalm 27 gives us a picture of faith that is both confident and honest. 96 00:07:34.550 --> 00:07:38.660 David knows who God is, but he's not afraid to cry out to him. 97 00:07:39.330 --> 00:07:43.440 He trusts God's protection, but he also seeks God's presence. 98 00:07:43.960 --> 00:07:47.240 And when the answer has not yet come, he chooses to wait. 99 00:07:47.850 --> 00:07:52.930 The psalm begins with confidence and ends with courage. But in between, 100 00:07:53.210 --> 00:07:55.160 we see something very important. 101 00:07:55.640 --> 00:08:02.430 Faith doesn't require us to ignore what we're facing. It teaches us where to turn when we face it. 102 00:08:02.940 --> 00:08:07.310 So as we study this psalm, let's begin where David begins, with the Lord. 103 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:13.400 What does it look like to face fear when our confidence is anchored in God? 104 00:08:14.860 --> 00:08:19.650 Psalm 27 is identified simply as the Psalm of David. 105 00:08:20.510 --> 00:08:25.520 Unlike some psalms, the heading does not tell us what specific event in David's 106 00:08:25.520 --> 00:08:27.040 life prompted its writing. 107 00:08:27.720 --> 00:08:32.230 So, while we know David experienced seasons of intense opposition and danger 108 00:08:32.230 --> 00:08:37.799 throughout his life, we should be careful not to assign this psalm to a particular 109 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:40.670 event that Scripture does not identify. 110 00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:46.640 What the psalm does make clear is that David is facing serious opposition. 111 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:51.590 He speaks about wicked people coming against him, enemies and foes surrounding 112 00:08:51.590 --> 00:08:55.720 him, an army encamped against him, and even the possibility of war. 113 00:08:56.490 --> 00:09:01.260 Later in the psalm, he mentions false witnesses who have risen against him and 114 00:09:01.260 --> 00:09:02.460 are speaking against him. 115 00:09:03.170 --> 00:09:07.580 This gives us an important backdrop for understanding David's confidence. 116 00:09:08.290 --> 00:09:12.610 He isn't writing from a position where everything is comfortable and secure. 117 00:09:13.059 --> 00:09:15.320 There are legitimate reasons for a concern. 118 00:09:15.910 --> 00:09:19.440 And his first response isn't to describe the strength of his enemies. 119 00:09:20.010 --> 00:09:22.750 It is to declare who the Lord is. 120 00:09:23.410 --> 00:09:27.540 The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? 121 00:09:28.250 --> 00:09:32.570 That opening statement establishes the foundation for the entire psalm. 122 00:09:33.330 --> 00:09:37.200 David's confidence is rooted in God's character. The Lord is his light. 123 00:09:37.710 --> 00:09:41.760 The Lord is his salvation. The Lord is the strength of his life. 124 00:09:42.250 --> 00:09:48.010 Because of who God is, David can face circumstances that would naturally produce 125 00:09:48.010 --> 00:09:50.929 fear without allowing that fear to become his master. 126 00:09:51.929 --> 00:09:55.970 The psalm also gives us insight into the importance of God's presence to David. 127 00:09:56.640 --> 00:10:01.330 In verse 4, David says that one thing he desires is to dwell in the house of 128 00:10:01.330 --> 00:10:05.059 the Lord, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to seek Him in His temple. 129 00:10:05.880 --> 00:10:11.170 The language reflects the central importance of worship and God's presence in 130 00:10:11.170 --> 00:10:12.440 the life of God's people. 131 00:10:13.190 --> 00:10:16.830 David's greatest desire in the middle of trouble isn't simply that his enemies 132 00:10:16.830 --> 00:10:19.920 disappear. here. He wants to be near the Lord. 133 00:10:20.890 --> 00:10:24.860 That becomes especially significant because the psalm doesn't remain at the 134 00:10:24.860 --> 00:10:26.630 level of confident declaration. 135 00:10:27.190 --> 00:10:30.250 Beginning in verse 7, David cries out to God. 136 00:10:30.950 --> 00:10:36.390 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also upon me and answer me. 137 00:10:37.320 --> 00:10:40.280 David can be confident in God and still cry out to God. 138 00:10:41.070 --> 00:10:46.290 That's an important biblical picture of faith. Trusting God doesn't mean we 139 00:10:46.290 --> 00:10:51.460 never experience distress, uncertainty, or the need to ask Him for help. 140 00:10:51.950 --> 00:10:54.620 Faith gives us somewhere to take those things. 141 00:10:55.280 --> 00:11:01.440 David asks God to teach him, to lead him, and to protect him from his enemies, and to not forsake him. 142 00:11:02.110 --> 00:11:05.770 And yet he continues to express confidence that he'll see the goodness of the 143 00:11:05.770 --> 00:11:07.270 Lord in the land of the living. 144 00:11:08.250 --> 00:11:13.170 Then the psalm concludes with an instruction that becomes one of its most memorable statements. 145 00:11:13.880 --> 00:11:19.630 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. 146 00:11:20.450 --> 00:11:24.600 That ending is important because David doesn't give us the impression that every 147 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:28.270 problem has already been solved. He is still waiting. 148 00:11:29.220 --> 00:11:33.540 The biblical setting of Psalm 27, therefore, gives us a picture of faith that 149 00:11:33.540 --> 00:11:34.890 is remarkably realistic. 150 00:11:35.570 --> 00:11:41.870 David faces genuine opposition. He brings his fears and needs honestly before the Lord. 151 00:11:42.429 --> 00:11:47.660 He seeks God's presence. He trusts God's goodness. And when the outcome isn't 152 00:11:47.660 --> 00:11:50.350 immediately visible, he chooses to wait on the Lord. 153 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:55.270 That is the setting in which we should understand the message of this psalm. 154 00:11:55.920 --> 00:11:59.960 David's courage isn't anchored in the absence of danger. 155 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:04.740 It is anchored in the presence and character of God. Thank you. 156 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:15.350 The first thing Psalm 27 teaches us about triumphant faith is that faith faces fear by focusing on God. 157 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:20.500 David begins the psalm with a declaration that immediately establishes where 158 00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:21.650 his confidence is found. 159 00:12:22.530 --> 00:12:27.450 The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength 160 00:12:27.450 --> 00:12:29.890 of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? 161 00:12:31.070 --> 00:12:38.179 Notice there what David does not do. He doesn't begin by describing how powerful his enemies are. 162 00:12:39.210 --> 00:12:42.390 He doesn't begin by explaining why this situation is so frightening. 163 00:12:43.110 --> 00:12:48.680 He doesn't begin by trying to convince himself that nothing bad is going to happen. 164 00:12:49.400 --> 00:12:51.190 He begins with the Lord. 165 00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:57.010 That's important because fear has a way of controlling our attention. 166 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:01.280 When we're afraid, our minds naturally focus on the threat. 167 00:13:01.830 --> 00:13:06.530 We think about what could go wrong, what might happen next, what we can't control, 168 00:13:06.780 --> 00:13:09.070 and how difficult the situation might become. 169 00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:12.070 The problem isn't that those concerns 170 00:13:12.070 --> 00:13:16.700 are always imaginary. Sometimes the circumstances really are difficult. 171 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:23.420 Sometimes there really is a serious problem right in front of us. And David knew that. 172 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:29.770 He speaks about enemies and foes coming against him. He describes an army encamped 173 00:13:29.770 --> 00:13:32.300 around him and even the possibility of war. 174 00:13:32.930 --> 00:13:36.130 Later, he speaks about false witnesses rising against him. 175 00:13:37.050 --> 00:13:41.960 David has reasons to be concerned, but he refuses to allow those circumstances 176 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:43.770 to become the foundation of his confidence. 177 00:13:44.350 --> 00:13:47.990 Instead, he reminds himself of who God is. 178 00:13:48.640 --> 00:13:50.630 The Lord is my light. 179 00:13:51.820 --> 00:13:54.910 Light gives us the ability to see. 180 00:13:55.700 --> 00:14:01.760 When circumstances become dark and confusing, God is not confused. 181 00:14:02.260 --> 00:14:04.980 He sees what we cannot see. 182 00:14:06.330 --> 00:14:12.130 The Lord is my salvation. David's ultimate deliverance is not dependent upon 183 00:14:12.130 --> 00:14:13.980 his own ability to solve the problem. 184 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:17.430 His confidence rests in the God who saves. 185 00:14:18.540 --> 00:14:24.890 The Lord is the strength of my life. David recognizes that his strength isn't 186 00:14:24.890 --> 00:14:26.460 ultimately found in himself. 187 00:14:26.850 --> 00:14:29.600 The Lord is the source of the strength that he needs. 188 00:14:30.540 --> 00:14:34.450 And then David asks, whom shall I fear? 189 00:14:35.190 --> 00:14:39.010 That question isn't David claiming that nothing frightening exists. 190 00:14:39.550 --> 00:14:42.880 It is David putting fear into its proper perspective. 191 00:14:43.630 --> 00:14:47.300 The presence of danger doesn't mean the absence of God, and that's an important 192 00:14:47.300 --> 00:14:48.790 distinction for us as Christians. 193 00:14:49.420 --> 00:14:54.070 Sometimes we can mistakenly think that having faith means we shouldn't feel afraid. 194 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:58.200 We may believe that if we're truly trusting God, then we should never experience 195 00:14:58.520 --> 00:15:02.270 anxiety, uncertainty, or even concern. 196 00:15:02.930 --> 00:15:05.640 But Psalm 27 doesn't give us that picture. 197 00:15:06.380 --> 00:15:10.060 David knows what it's like to face circumstances that could produce fear. 198 00:15:10.450 --> 00:15:14.320 What makes his response different is where he places his confidence. 199 00:15:15.140 --> 00:15:19.080 Faith doesn't require us to deny the reality of the problem. 200 00:15:19.700 --> 00:15:23.990 Faith reminds us that the problem is not greater than God. 201 00:15:24.910 --> 00:15:28.820 We see this same principle throughout Scripture. In Isaiah 41.10, 202 00:15:28.820 --> 00:15:32.660 the Lord says, Fear thou not, for I am with thee. 203 00:15:33.070 --> 00:15:35.720 Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. 204 00:15:36.390 --> 00:15:40.710 Notice the reason that God gives for not fearing. He doesn't say, 205 00:15:40.710 --> 00:15:43.830 Fear not because nothing difficult will ever happen. 206 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:46.430 He says, I am with thee. 207 00:15:47.290 --> 00:15:53.670 The foundation of courage is God's presence. That changes the way we should think about fear. 208 00:15:54.740 --> 00:16:01.030 Fear says, look at what could happen. Faith says, look at who God is. 209 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:08.540 Fear says, you don't know what tomorrow will bring. Faith says, God already knows. 210 00:16:09.210 --> 00:16:14.450 Fear says, you can't control this. Faith says, God has never surrendered his 211 00:16:14.450 --> 00:16:18.390 authority simply because I cannot control the circumstances. 212 00:16:19.300 --> 00:16:23.890 That doesn't mean we become careless or foolish. Biblical faith isn't presumption. 213 00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:28.380 We can acknowledge danger. We can make wise decisions. We can seek counsel, 214 00:16:28.380 --> 00:16:31.030 take appropriate action, and we can still trust God. 215 00:16:31.810 --> 00:16:36.140 David's confidence isn't based on pretending that the enemy doesn't exist. 216 00:16:36.450 --> 00:16:39.750 It's based on knowing that the Lord is greater than the enemy. 217 00:16:40.220 --> 00:16:42.400 And that gives us a practical question to consider. 218 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:47.960 What has your attention right now? When you're facing something difficult, 219 00:16:47.960 --> 00:16:49.720 what occupies your thoughts? 220 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:54.000 Is it the problem itself? Is it everything that might go wrong? 221 00:16:54.470 --> 00:16:58.010 Are you constantly rehearsing possible outcomes in your mind? 222 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:02.090 Or are you deliberately reminding yourself of who God is? 223 00:17:03.030 --> 00:17:08.270 Sometimes, the first step toward courageous faith isn't changing our circumstances. 224 00:17:08.660 --> 00:17:10.910 It's changing what we're looking at. 225 00:17:11.460 --> 00:17:15.240 That doesn't mean ignoring the problem. It means refusing to look at the problem 226 00:17:15.240 --> 00:17:17.140 without also looking at God. 227 00:17:17.760 --> 00:17:20.060 David continues in verses 2 and 3. 228 00:17:20.770 --> 00:17:26.980 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 229 00:17:27.540 --> 00:17:31.180 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. 230 00:17:31.510 --> 00:17:35.660 The war shall rise against me, in this will I be confident. 231 00:17:36.310 --> 00:17:42.090 Again, notice the language. David doesn't say there will never be an army against me. 232 00:17:42.510 --> 00:17:45.800 He says, though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. 233 00:17:46.320 --> 00:17:50.859 The circumstance can be present without becoming the master of his heart. 234 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:56.410 That is the kind of faith that we need. There may be circumstances in your life 235 00:17:56.410 --> 00:17:59.200 right now that you cannot control. 236 00:17:59.770 --> 00:18:03.380 You may not know what the next week, month, or year will bring. 237 00:18:04.250 --> 00:18:08.290 You may be facing a decision where you don't know what direction to take. 238 00:18:09.140 --> 00:18:13.060 You may be carrying a burden that you simply cannot make disappear. 239 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:18.000 Psalm 27 doesn't promise that those things won't happen. 240 00:18:18.790 --> 00:18:23.040 Instead, it gives us a place to anchor our confidence when they do. 241 00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:28.800 The Lord is still our light. The Lord is still our salvation. 242 00:18:29.609 --> 00:18:34.099 The Lord is still the strength of our lives. And because of who He is, 243 00:18:34.390 --> 00:18:37.210 fear does not have to have the final word. 244 00:18:37.760 --> 00:18:43.220 So when fear comes, don't begin by asking only, how am I going to get through this? 245 00:18:43.730 --> 00:18:47.630 Begin by remembering, who is the God who is with me? 246 00:18:48.390 --> 00:18:55.970 That is where triumphant faith begins. Faith faces fear by focusing on God. 247 00:18:57.609 --> 00:19:01.450 So far, we've seen that faith faces fear by focusing on God. 248 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:05.290 But Psalm 27 takes us one step deeper. 249 00:19:05.910 --> 00:19:11.970 David doesn't simply tell us where his confidence is found. He tells us what he desires the most. 250 00:19:12.530 --> 00:19:18.760 Verse 4 says, One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, 251 00:19:18.990 --> 00:19:22.920 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, 252 00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:26.880 to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 253 00:19:27.859 --> 00:19:35.109 One thing. In the middle of everything David is facing, there is one thing that stands above the rest. 254 00:19:35.770 --> 00:19:38.450 He wants to dwell in the presence of the Lord. 255 00:19:39.560 --> 00:19:43.640 Think about the circumstances David has described. There are enemies. 256 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:46.010 There are foes. There's the possibility of war. 257 00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:48.500 There are people speaking against him. 258 00:19:49.270 --> 00:19:53.630 If we were writing the prayer, we might expect David's greatest request to be 259 00:19:53.630 --> 00:19:55.560 Lord to remove all these problems. 260 00:19:56.080 --> 00:20:01.300 And certainly, David does ask God for protection and for deliverance elsewhere in the psalm. 261 00:20:01.990 --> 00:20:07.580 But when David describes his deepest desire, he doesn't point first to change circumstances. 262 00:20:08.090 --> 00:20:10.470 He points to God's presence. 263 00:20:11.280 --> 00:20:16.660 That gives us an important question to consider. What do we want most when we're afraid? 264 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:22.290 Fear has a way of narrowing our focus. When something goes wrong, 265 00:20:22.290 --> 00:20:25.050 our greatest desire can quickly become relief. 266 00:20:25.540 --> 00:20:27.450 We want the situation fixed. 267 00:20:28.030 --> 00:20:33.200 We want the answer now. We want the uncertainty to be removed. 268 00:20:33.690 --> 00:20:38.880 And there's nothing inherently wrong with asking God to change difficult circumstances. 269 00:20:39.310 --> 00:20:41.910 David does exactly that in this psalm. 270 00:20:42.849 --> 00:20:49.070 But Psalm 27 challenges us to look deeper. Do we want God's gifts more than we want God Himself? 271 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:54.440 Do we seek His intervention without seeking His presence? Do we want Him to 272 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:58.820 change our circumstances while remaining unwilling to let Him change us? 273 00:20:59.830 --> 00:21:04.660 David's one thing gives us a different model. He wants to dwell with the Lord. 274 00:21:05.210 --> 00:21:09.230 He wants to behold the beauty of the Lord. He wants to seek Him. 275 00:21:10.030 --> 00:21:14.060 That tells us something about what faith does when fear comes. 276 00:21:14.869 --> 00:21:19.280 Faith doesn't merely run away from the problem. Faith runs toward God. 277 00:21:20.180 --> 00:21:26.480 Psalm 27.5 continues, For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion, 278 00:21:26.740 --> 00:21:31.960 in the secret of his tabernacle he shall hide me, he shall set me up upon a rock. 279 00:21:32.690 --> 00:21:37.580 David's confidence in God's protection flows naturally from his desire for God's presence. 280 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:44.840 The Lord is not merely someone David calls when he needs something. the Lord is his refuge. 281 00:21:45.630 --> 00:21:51.290 That distinction matters. If our relationship with God is primarily built around 282 00:21:51.290 --> 00:21:56.050 asking him to make our lives easier, then difficult circumstances can shake our faith. 283 00:21:56.660 --> 00:22:00.849 When the answer doesn't come quickly, we may begin to wonder whether God is listening. 284 00:22:01.570 --> 00:22:05.820 But if our relationship with God is rooted in who he is, then our confidence 285 00:22:06.140 --> 00:22:09.300 doesn't have to disappear when circumstances remain difficult. 286 00:22:09.980 --> 00:22:13.300 We can still seek Him. We can still worship Him. We can still pray. 287 00:22:13.300 --> 00:22:17.290 We can still trust Him. And we can still find refuge in His presence. 288 00:22:18.060 --> 00:22:22.900 Jesus expressed a similar truth when He said in Matthew 6.33, 289 00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:24.730 But seek ye first the kingdom of 290 00:22:24.730 --> 00:22:29.170 God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. 291 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.920 The principle is not that God doesn't care about our needs. He does. 292 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:38.330 The principle is that God Himself must remain our priority. 293 00:22:39.230 --> 00:22:42.500 That is particularly important when fear enters our lives. 294 00:22:43.290 --> 00:22:48.170 Fear asks, how do I get out of this? Faith can ask a deeper question. 295 00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:52.080 Lord, how can I draw closer to you in the middle of this? 296 00:22:52.790 --> 00:22:56.700 That changes our perspective. Maybe the circumstance will change. 297 00:22:57.369 --> 00:23:03.020 Maybe the answer will come quickly. Maybe the situation will take longer than we expected. 298 00:23:03.520 --> 00:23:06.530 But whatever happens, we can seek the Lord. 299 00:23:07.020 --> 00:23:11.010 We can bring our fears to Him. we can open up His Word, we can pray, 300 00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:15.890 we can worship, and we can remind ourselves of what is true about His character. 301 00:23:16.150 --> 00:23:20.640 And we can learn to recognize that God's presence is not merely a consolation 302 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:23.170 prize when He hasn't changed our circumstances. 303 00:23:23.750 --> 00:23:26.890 His presence is one of the greatest gifts that He gives us. 304 00:23:27.820 --> 00:23:32.710 David then continues in verse 6, And now shall mine head be lifted up above 305 00:23:32.710 --> 00:23:34.080 mine enemies round about me. 306 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:38.619 Therefore, will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy, 307 00:23:38.920 --> 00:23:42.460 I will sing ye, I will sing praises unto the Lord. 308 00:23:43.490 --> 00:23:47.640 Notice how David's desire for God's presence leads naturally into worship. 309 00:23:48.390 --> 00:23:53.200 He expects God to lift his head. He anticipates deliverance, 310 00:23:53.710 --> 00:23:55.730 and his response is worship. 311 00:23:56.420 --> 00:24:00.700 That gives us another practical application. When fear dominates our thinking, 312 00:24:00.990 --> 00:24:02.900 worship can redirect our attention. 313 00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:07.190 That doesn't mean singing a song magically makes our problems disappear. 314 00:24:07.670 --> 00:24:11.910 It means deliberately turning our attention toward the character and greatness of God. 315 00:24:12.650 --> 00:24:16.980 Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of truths that we already know. God is faithful. 316 00:24:17.619 --> 00:24:21.599 God is sovereign. God is good. God is present. 317 00:24:22.130 --> 00:24:26.040 God is worthy of worship even when our circumstances are unresolved. 318 00:24:26.760 --> 00:24:32.359 And that brings us back to David's one thing. What is the one thing we are seeking? 319 00:24:33.109 --> 00:24:36.430 If we're honest, our answer can change depending on what's happening in our 320 00:24:36.430 --> 00:24:40.170 lives. When things are going well, we may say that God is our priority. 321 00:24:40.780 --> 00:24:45.020 But when fear arrives, our priorities can quickly become centered on finding 322 00:24:45.020 --> 00:24:47.880 relief. Psalm 27 calls us back. 323 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:56.099 Seek the Lord, desire His presence, behold His beauty, find refuge in Him, and worship Him. 324 00:24:56.560 --> 00:25:01.619 Because faith that triumphs isn't merely faith that believes God can change our circumstances. 325 00:25:02.060 --> 00:25:08.119 It is faith that says, even while I'm waiting for those circumstances to change, I still want you. 326 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:13.080 That is a deeper kind of confidence, and it prepares us for the final movement 327 00:25:13.080 --> 00:25:17.070 of the psalm because David eventually has to confront something every believer encounters. 328 00:25:17.650 --> 00:25:22.500 What do we do when we've prayed, we've trusted, and we're still waiting? 329 00:25:22.950 --> 00:25:26.320 And Psalm 27 has an answer for that too. 330 00:25:28.360 --> 00:25:34.180 So we've seen now that faith faces fear by focusing on God, and that faith seeks 331 00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:38.830 God's presence rather than simply seeking relief from difficult circumstances. 332 00:25:39.450 --> 00:25:43.400 But there's one more lesson Psalm 27 teaches us, and perhaps this is where the 333 00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:46.770 idea of triumphant faith becomes most meaningful. 334 00:25:47.580 --> 00:25:51.470 Faith triumphs while we wait. 335 00:25:52.830 --> 00:25:58.030 The second half of Psalm 27 gives us a picture of David crying out to God. 336 00:25:59.270 --> 00:26:04.350 He says, Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, have mercy also upon me and answer me. 337 00:26:05.100 --> 00:26:09.660 This is important because David's confidence hasn't eliminated his need to pray. 338 00:26:10.410 --> 00:26:15.060 He's still asking God to hear him. He's still asking God to answer him. 339 00:26:16.050 --> 00:26:19.260 He's still asking God not to hide his face from him. 340 00:26:19.550 --> 00:26:23.070 He asks God to teach him his way and lead him in a plain path. 341 00:26:23.320 --> 00:26:26.970 He asks God not to deliver himself over his enemies. 342 00:26:27.270 --> 00:26:31.200 And he tells us that false witnesses have risen against him. 343 00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:35.840 In other words, David is in the middle of this situation. 344 00:26:36.700 --> 00:26:40.660 This is not a story where the problem disappears halfway through the psalm and 345 00:26:40.910 --> 00:26:43.440 David spends the rest of it celebrating the solution. 346 00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:49.180 He's praying while the problem remains. That gives us an important picture of 347 00:26:49.180 --> 00:26:51.280 what biblical faith looks like. 348 00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:56.810 Sometimes we have the mistaken idea that if we truly trust God, we won't struggle. 349 00:26:57.710 --> 00:27:00.720 But David is struggling. He's crying out. 350 00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:07.520 He is asking questions. He needs God's help, and yet he is still trusting. 351 00:27:08.590 --> 00:27:12.180 Faith doesn't mean that we never have moments when we are overwhelmed. 352 00:27:12.540 --> 00:27:15.820 It means that when we are overwhelmed, we know where to turn. 353 00:27:16.530 --> 00:27:22.050 David takes his fear to God rather than allowing his fear to drive him away 354 00:27:22.050 --> 00:27:24.720 from God. And that distinction is critical. 355 00:27:25.450 --> 00:27:29.070 There are times when we may face something we don't understand. 356 00:27:29.670 --> 00:27:32.370 We pray, but we don't immediately see an answer. 357 00:27:33.090 --> 00:27:36.920 We ask God for direction, but the path ahead remains unclear. 358 00:27:37.620 --> 00:27:41.620 We ask him to intervene, but the circumstances don't immediately change. 359 00:27:42.420 --> 00:27:47.510 What do we do then? Psalm 27 shows us that we keep seeking him. 360 00:27:48.420 --> 00:27:53.650 David says in verse 8, When thou saidest, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto 361 00:27:53.650 --> 00:27:55.680 thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 362 00:27:56.450 --> 00:28:03.510 David's response to God's invitation is pursuit. Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 363 00:28:04.200 --> 00:28:10.600 He doesn't say, I'll seek you if you fix this first. He seeks God in the middle of the uncertainty. 364 00:28:11.860 --> 00:28:16.070 And then, David reaches one of the most vulnerable moments in the psalm. 365 00:28:16.810 --> 00:28:22.370 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 366 00:28:23.280 --> 00:28:27.850 David acknowledges how close he might have come to losing heart. I had fainted. 367 00:28:28.830 --> 00:28:33.550 Those words remind us that courage isn't always effortless. There could be moments 368 00:28:33.550 --> 00:28:35.830 when we feel like we're running out of strength. 369 00:28:36.410 --> 00:28:40.560 There could be moments when we don't know how much longer we can carry the uncertainty. 370 00:28:41.280 --> 00:28:45.650 There can be moments when we wonder where the situation will ever change. 371 00:28:46.860 --> 00:28:50.220 But David says there was something that kept him going. 372 00:28:50.950 --> 00:28:54.810 He believed that he would see the goodness of the Lord. Notice that his hope 373 00:28:54.810 --> 00:28:56.870 isn't ultimately in a particular outcome. 374 00:28:57.370 --> 00:28:59.310 His hope is in the goodness of God. 375 00:28:59.810 --> 00:29:01.540 That is a crucial distinction. 376 00:29:02.270 --> 00:29:06.490 If our confidence is based entirely on God doing exactly what we expect Him 377 00:29:06.490 --> 00:29:11.040 to do, then our faith will be vulnerable whenever his timing or his answer is 378 00:29:11.040 --> 00:29:12.410 different from what we expected. 379 00:29:13.370 --> 00:29:18.090 But when our confidence is anchored in God's character, we can continue trusting 380 00:29:18.090 --> 00:29:20.640 him even when we don't understand his timing. 381 00:29:21.410 --> 00:29:26.210 And that brings us to the final verse of the psalm. Wait on the Lord. 382 00:29:26.800 --> 00:29:31.770 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. 383 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:34.610 David ends with a command. 384 00:29:36.130 --> 00:29:39.730 Wait. Not because waiting is easy. 385 00:29:40.600 --> 00:29:45.720 Not because the circumstances don't matter. Not because the answer isn't important. 386 00:29:46.250 --> 00:29:49.180 He waits because the Lord is trustworthy. 387 00:29:49.780 --> 00:29:53.690 And notice the connection between waiting and courage. Wait on the Lord, 388 00:29:53.940 --> 00:29:57.160 be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. 389 00:29:57.800 --> 00:30:01.700 David doesn't tell us to manufacture our courage through sheer determination. 390 00:30:02.120 --> 00:30:03.830 He points us back to the Lord. 391 00:30:04.510 --> 00:30:06.040 God strengthens the heart. 392 00:30:06.800 --> 00:30:09.720 This is why waiting can actually be an expression of faith. 393 00:30:10.330 --> 00:30:15.000 Waiting says, I don't have the answer yet, but I trust the one who does. 394 00:30:16.300 --> 00:30:20.480 Waiting says, I don't know what God is going to do, but I know who God is. 395 00:30:21.470 --> 00:30:27.070 And waiting says, I cannot control the outcome, but I can remain faithful while I wait. 396 00:30:27.850 --> 00:30:33.110 That doesn't mean waiting is passive. Biblical waiting isn't sitting around doing nothing. 397 00:30:33.690 --> 00:30:38.910 We continue praying. We continue obeying. We continue seeking God's Word. 398 00:30:39.310 --> 00:30:45.870 We continue doing what God has already called us to do, and we'll leave the outcome in His hands. 399 00:30:46.930 --> 00:30:51.340 There may be someone listening today who's in that exact place. You've prayed. 400 00:30:51.990 --> 00:30:54.920 You've asked God for direction. You've asked Him to intervene. 401 00:30:54.920 --> 00:30:58.540 You've asked Him to change something, and you're still waiting. 402 00:30:59.530 --> 00:31:03.900 Psalm 27 doesn't tell you that you're waiting means God has forgotten you. 403 00:31:04.620 --> 00:31:08.210 It doesn't tell you that unanswered prayer means your faith has failed. 404 00:31:08.990 --> 00:31:13.780 Instead, it gives you something to do while you wait. 405 00:31:15.010 --> 00:31:21.310 Seek the Lord. Be of good courage. Let him strengthen your heart. Wait on the Lord. 406 00:31:22.130 --> 00:31:27.260 That is faith that triumphs. And notice something else about the word triumph. 407 00:31:27.750 --> 00:31:31.840 Triumph doesn't always mean that the circumstances have already changed. 408 00:31:32.680 --> 00:31:36.760 Sometimes the triumph is that fear didn't make you abandon your faith. 409 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:41.660 Sometimes triumph is that uncertainty didn't make you stop praying. 410 00:31:42.520 --> 00:31:47.350 Sometimes the triumph is that disappointment didn't make you stop seeking God. 411 00:31:48.030 --> 00:31:52.620 Sometimes the triumph is simply continuing to trust when you don't yet understand. 412 00:31:53.540 --> 00:32:01.290 David began the psalm by asking, whom shall I fear? He ends by telling himself to wait on the Lord. 413 00:32:02.350 --> 00:32:05.600 Between those two statements, he's acknowledged enemies, cried out in prayer, 414 00:32:05.600 --> 00:32:08.990 sought God's presence, and admitted that he could have fainted. 415 00:32:09.860 --> 00:32:14.190 It's not a picture of a person who never struggles It's a picture of a person 416 00:32:14.190 --> 00:32:19.460 who keeps returning to god And that may be the clearest example of triumphant 417 00:32:19.460 --> 00:32:22.450 faith that we can take from psalm 27, 418 00:32:23.320 --> 00:32:28.890 Faith triumphs when we continue to trust god even when we cannot yet see the outcome, 419 00:32:29.550 --> 00:32:33.780 The circumstances may still be uncertain the answer may still be coming the 420 00:32:33.780 --> 00:32:39.060 battle may still be underway way, but our confidence can remain anchored in the Lord. 421 00:32:39.520 --> 00:32:44.180 He is still our light. He is still our salvation. He is still the strength of our life. 422 00:32:44.660 --> 00:32:48.250 So, if you're waiting today, don't assume that waiting means nothing is happening. 423 00:32:48.790 --> 00:32:52.460 God may be strengthening your heart in the waiting. Keep seeking Him. 424 00:32:52.810 --> 00:32:54.910 Keep praying. Keep trusting. 425 00:32:55.370 --> 00:32:57.390 And wait on the Lord. 426 00:32:59.100 --> 00:33:03.840 So, what does Psalm 27 mean for us in our everyday lives? 427 00:33:04.750 --> 00:33:09.480 We've seen David face fear by focusing on God, seek God's presence in the middle 428 00:33:09.480 --> 00:33:12.470 of trouble, and continue trusting while he waits. 429 00:33:13.040 --> 00:33:16.140 But those truths aren't meant to remain on the pages of Scripture. 430 00:33:16.580 --> 00:33:21.750 They should change the way that we respond when fear and uncertainty enter our own lives. 431 00:33:22.790 --> 00:33:29.890 First, identify what is causing you fear. Sometimes, we know exactly what we're afraid of. 432 00:33:30.650 --> 00:33:35.690 Other times, fear becomes a general sense of uneasiness about everything that might happen. 433 00:33:36.300 --> 00:33:41.880 Take some time this week to identify the specific concern that's occupying your thoughts. 434 00:33:42.980 --> 00:33:47.540 Then, bring it honestly before God. Don't pretend that you're not afraid. 435 00:33:47.800 --> 00:33:51.980 David didn't. He cried out to the Lord. Tell God what you're concerned about. 436 00:33:52.380 --> 00:33:55.790 Ask Him for help, wisdom, direction, and strength. 437 00:33:56.790 --> 00:34:01.130 But don't stop with the problem. Remind yourself of who God is. 438 00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:05.140 Psalm 27 begins with the declaration that the Lord is our light, 439 00:34:05.490 --> 00:34:08.320 our salvation, and the strength of our lives. 440 00:34:08.820 --> 00:34:12.449 When fear draws your attention toward everything that could go wrong, 441 00:34:12.949 --> 00:34:16.390 deliberately turn your attention back toward the character of God. 442 00:34:17.699 --> 00:34:21.239 Second, ask yourself what you are seeking most. 443 00:34:22.489 --> 00:34:26.719 David said, One thing I have desired of the Lord that I will seek after. 444 00:34:27.680 --> 00:34:32.080 When we're facing a difficult situation, it's natural to want God to change the circumstances. 445 00:34:32.910 --> 00:34:38.880 But take a moment to ask whether you're seeking God Himself or simply seeking 446 00:34:38.880 --> 00:34:40.560 the outcome you want from Him. 447 00:34:41.469 --> 00:34:46.449 Make time to seek His presence. Spend time in His Word. Pray. 448 00:34:46.810 --> 00:34:49.380 Worship. Be still before Him. 449 00:34:50.050 --> 00:34:54.699 Let your relationship with God remain the priority even when you are asking 450 00:34:54.699 --> 00:34:56.900 Him to change something in your life. 451 00:34:58.830 --> 00:35:04.190 Third, examine what it is that you're trying to control. Fear often grows when 452 00:35:04.190 --> 00:35:06.739 we realize that we cannot control the outcome. 453 00:35:07.520 --> 00:35:12.010 We may try to solve every possibility in advance, rehearse through every scenario, 454 00:35:12.280 --> 00:35:16.570 or constantly look for some way to guarantee what happens next. 455 00:35:17.380 --> 00:35:21.460 There's a difference between responsible action and trying to control something 456 00:35:21.750 --> 00:35:23.150 that belongs in God's hands. 457 00:35:23.840 --> 00:35:28.760 Do what God has given you to do, but surrender the outcome to Him. 458 00:35:30.300 --> 00:35:36.530 And finally, learn to wait on the Lord. This may be the most difficult application of Psalm 27. 459 00:35:37.260 --> 00:35:42.330 If you've prayed and the answer hasn't come yet, don't assume that God's forgotten you. 460 00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:46.540 If the circumstances haven't changed, don't assume that your faith has failed. 461 00:35:47.250 --> 00:35:50.300 Keep praying. Keep seeking God. 462 00:35:50.930 --> 00:35:55.820 Keep obeying what you already know He has called you to do, and keep trusting 463 00:35:55.820 --> 00:35:57.660 him with what you cannot yet see. 464 00:35:58.570 --> 00:36:04.680 So, here's a practical challenge for this week. Ring Psalm 27 each day. 465 00:36:05.540 --> 00:36:09.930 As you read it, identify one fear or one uncertainty that you're carrying. 466 00:36:10.540 --> 00:36:13.510 Write it down and bring it honestly before the Lord. 467 00:36:14.300 --> 00:36:16.210 Then ask yourself four questions. 468 00:36:17.239 --> 00:36:18.489 What am I afraid of? 469 00:36:19.630 --> 00:36:24.850 What does Psalm 27 remind me about God? What am I seeking most? 470 00:36:25.770 --> 00:36:28.260 And what do I need to surrender while I wait? 471 00:36:29.300 --> 00:36:33.850 And as you work through those questions, return to David's final words. 472 00:36:34.510 --> 00:36:40.360 Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. 473 00:36:41.550 --> 00:36:48.430 You may not know what God is going to do next, but you can know who he is and 474 00:36:48.430 --> 00:36:51.120 you can choose to trust him today. 475 00:36:53.699 --> 00:36:59.120 There are seven truths from Psalm 27 that I want us to remember from our study. 476 00:37:00.090 --> 00:37:03.449 First, faith begins by focusing on who God is. 477 00:37:04.270 --> 00:37:08.500 David doesn't begin with the strength of his enemies or the uncertainty of his circumstances. 478 00:37:09.070 --> 00:37:15.590 He begins with the Lord as his light, his salvation, and the strength of his life. 479 00:37:16.900 --> 00:37:20.580 Second, biblical courage does not require the absence of danger. 480 00:37:21.219 --> 00:37:23.860 David faced enemies' opposition and uncertainty. 481 00:37:24.560 --> 00:37:29.489 His courage came from confidence in God rather than confidence that difficult 482 00:37:29.489 --> 00:37:31.520 circumstances would never happen. 483 00:37:32.770 --> 00:37:38.070 Third, faith seeks God himself, not merely what God can do for us. 484 00:37:38.920 --> 00:37:44.010 David's one thing was to dwell in the house of the Lord, behold his beauty, and seek him. 485 00:37:44.520 --> 00:37:46.280 Our relationship with God must 486 00:37:46.280 --> 00:37:50.780 remain more important than simply receiving the outcome that we desire. 487 00:37:52.170 --> 00:37:57.630 Fourth, faith can include honest prayer. David confidently trusted God while 488 00:37:57.630 --> 00:38:01.620 also crying out for mercy, asking God to hear him, teach him, 489 00:38:01.830 --> 00:38:03.410 lead him, and deliver him. 490 00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:08.030 Trusting God does not mean we have to hide our struggles from him. 491 00:38:09.370 --> 00:38:15.239 Fifth, our confidence can rest in God's goodness even when we cannot yet see the outcome. 492 00:38:16.030 --> 00:38:20.160 David says that he would have fainted unless he had believed to see the goodness 493 00:38:20.160 --> 00:38:21.770 of the Lord in the land of the living. 494 00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:25.310 His hope was anchored in God's character. 495 00:38:26.560 --> 00:38:31.730 Sixth, waiting on God is an expression of faith. Waiting does not mean that 496 00:38:31.730 --> 00:38:33.770 we stop praying or obeying. 497 00:38:34.540 --> 00:38:41.580 It means that we continue trusting God when His answer or His timing is not yet clear. 498 00:38:42.680 --> 00:38:44.920 And finally, faith triumphs when 499 00:38:44.920 --> 00:38:48.810 our confidence remains anchored in God regardless of our circumstances. 500 00:38:49.610 --> 00:38:54.760 The battle may still be underway. The answer may not have yet arrived. 501 00:38:55.280 --> 00:38:59.530 Fear may still be present, but the Lord, He remains our light, 502 00:38:59.960 --> 00:39:02.910 our salvation, and the strength of our life. 503 00:39:03.949 --> 00:39:09.600 So, remember David's final instruction. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, 504 00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:11.570 and He shall strengthen thine heart. 505 00:39:11.830 --> 00:39:14.020 Wait, I say, on the Lord. 506 00:39:15.130 --> 00:39:23.120 Faith that triumphs isn't faith that never struggles. It is faith that keeps turning toward God. 507 00:39:25.850 --> 00:39:32.270 Psalm 27 gives us an opportunity to slow down and examine where our confidence is actually placed. 508 00:39:33.449 --> 00:39:39.460 When fear or uncertainty enters our lives, what tends to receive most of our attention? 509 00:39:40.370 --> 00:39:46.770 Am I focusing more on the circumstances I cannot control than on the God who is still in control? 510 00:39:47.780 --> 00:39:52.940 David begins by declaring, The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? 511 00:39:53.610 --> 00:39:58.260 Do I generally believe that God is my light, my salvation, and the strength of my life? 512 00:39:59.500 --> 00:40:05.040 David also says, One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after. 513 00:40:05.800 --> 00:40:09.310 What do I desire most when I'm facing difficulty? 514 00:40:10.060 --> 00:40:14.219 Am I primarily seeking God's presence, or am I seeking an outcome that will 515 00:40:14.219 --> 00:40:15.940 simply make the problem go away? 516 00:40:17.140 --> 00:40:22.430 Is there something I'm trying to control because I'm struggling to trust God with the outcome? 517 00:40:23.350 --> 00:40:26.989 And finally, where am I being asked to wait on the Lord? 518 00:40:27.820 --> 00:40:34.330 Am I willing to continue praying, seeking God, and walking in obedience even 519 00:40:34.330 --> 00:40:36.739 when I don't yet know what He is going to do? 520 00:40:37.730 --> 00:40:41.930 Take some time to consider those questions honestly. You don't have to pretend 521 00:40:41.930 --> 00:40:45.260 that your fears aren't real. Bring them before the Lord. 522 00:40:45.920 --> 00:40:49.350 But as you do, remember where David placed his confidence. 523 00:40:50.140 --> 00:40:52.140 The Lord is still your light. 524 00:40:53.180 --> 00:40:58.890 The Lord is still your salvation. The Lord is still the strength of your life. 525 00:40:59.580 --> 00:41:03.739 And when you cannot see what comes next, you can still trust the one who does. 526 00:41:04.640 --> 00:41:12.150 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. 527 00:41:13.699 --> 00:41:20.550 There may be someone listening today who's in a season of fear or uncertainty. 528 00:41:21.640 --> 00:41:24.390 Maybe you're facing a situation that you don't know how to resolve. 529 00:41:25.190 --> 00:41:28.610 Maybe you've prayed about something and you're still waiting for an answer. 530 00:41:29.810 --> 00:41:33.510 Maybe you're carrying concern about your family, your future, 531 00:41:33.949 --> 00:41:37.449 your work, or something else that you simply cannot control. 532 00:41:38.640 --> 00:41:44.590 Psalm 27 reminds us that you don't have to know what happens next in order to trust God today. 533 00:41:45.660 --> 00:41:49.160 David was facing real opposition. He had enemies. 534 00:41:49.820 --> 00:41:55.370 He had uncertainty. He had reasons to be afraid. And yet, he could say, 535 00:41:55.830 --> 00:42:00.000 the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? 536 00:42:00.930 --> 00:42:05.739 That same God is still faithful. You may not know how your situation is going to unfold. 537 00:42:06.290 --> 00:42:10.850 You may not know when the answer will come You may not understand why God has 538 00:42:10.850 --> 00:42:13.140 allowed you to walk through this particular season, 539 00:42:13.969 --> 00:42:19.380 But you can know who God is He is your light when the path ahead seems dark, 540 00:42:20.110 --> 00:42:23.670 He's your salvation when you don't know where deliverance will come from, 541 00:42:24.690 --> 00:42:30.390 He is the strength of your life when you feel like your own strength isn't enough. 542 00:42:31.469 --> 00:42:36.880 And if you're in a season of waiting, remember that waiting doesn't mean God has abandoned you. 543 00:42:37.680 --> 00:42:41.920 David's final words were, wait on the Lord, be of good courage, 544 00:42:42.140 --> 00:42:43.739 and he shall strengthen thine heart. 545 00:42:44.080 --> 00:42:46.020 Wait, I say, on the Lord. 546 00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:51.100 Notice that David doesn't simply say, wait. He says, be of good courage. 547 00:42:51.860 --> 00:42:55.350 And then he tells us why. He shall strengthen thine heart. 548 00:42:56.310 --> 00:42:59.770 Your courage doesn't have to come from knowing exactly what God is going to 549 00:42:59.770 --> 00:43:03.900 do. Your courage can come from knowing that God is faithful. 550 00:43:04.710 --> 00:43:10.770 So, if you're afraid today, bring that fear to Him. If you're uncertain, seek Him. 551 00:43:11.610 --> 00:43:16.140 If you're waiting, keep trusting. And if you feel like you're running out of 552 00:43:16.140 --> 00:43:19.120 strength, remember that the Lord can strengthen your heart. 553 00:43:19.780 --> 00:43:25.150 The circumstances may not have changed yet, But God has not changed. 554 00:43:25.780 --> 00:43:31.040 He is still your light. He is still your salvation. He is still the strength of your life. 555 00:43:31.550 --> 00:43:35.739 So take courage this week. Keep seeking the Lord, keep praying, 556 00:43:35.949 --> 00:43:38.640 keep trusting, and keep waiting. 557 00:43:39.520 --> 00:43:43.719 Faith that triumphs isn't faith that knows how everything will turn out. 558 00:43:44.230 --> 00:43:48.010 It's faith that knows who holds the outcome. 559 00:43:49.960 --> 00:43:54.420 As we finish up our study here of Psalm 27, let's close out with a word of prayer. 560 00:43:56.219 --> 00:44:00.110 Heavenly Father, we thank you for the truth of your word and for the reminder 561 00:44:00.110 --> 00:44:04.560 that you are our light, our salvation, and the strength of our lives. 562 00:44:05.430 --> 00:44:10.780 Lord, when fear and uncertainty surround us, help us remember who you are. 563 00:44:11.460 --> 00:44:17.310 Keep us from allowing our circumstances to become greater in our minds than 564 00:44:17.310 --> 00:44:18.780 your faithfulness and your power. 565 00:44:19.980 --> 00:44:24.090 Teach us to seek your presence above everything else. Help us desire you, 566 00:44:24.270 --> 00:44:29.449 trust you, and find our refuge in you even when the circumstances around us have not changed. 567 00:44:30.610 --> 00:44:34.580 Father, we bring before you the fears, the burdens, and the uncertainties that we carry. 568 00:44:35.199 --> 00:44:39.900 Hear our prayers. Give us wisdom. Lead us in your way and strengthen our hearts. 569 00:44:40.890 --> 00:44:44.370 And Lord, for those who are waiting today, give them courage. 570 00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:50.650 Help them to continue to pray, continue to seek you, and to continue to trust 571 00:44:50.650 --> 00:44:53.199 your goodness when they cannot yet see the outcome. 572 00:44:54.170 --> 00:44:58.250 Teach us to wait on you with confidence, knowing that you are faithful and that 573 00:44:58.250 --> 00:44:59.520 you will strengthen our hearts. 574 00:45:00.260 --> 00:45:05.650 May our faith remain anchored in you regardless of whatever it is that we may face. 575 00:45:06.590 --> 00:45:09.540 We ask all these things in the name of your Son, Jesus, our Savior. 576 00:45:12.920 --> 00:45:16.050 Amen. Before we close out today's episode, I want to take a moment and thank 577 00:45:16.050 --> 00:45:18.320 you for being a part of the Bible Bytes community. 578 00:45:19.250 --> 00:45:24.010 Today's study in Psalm 27 has reminded us that faith doesn't mean the absence of fear. 579 00:45:24.650 --> 00:45:28.949 It means choosing to anchor our confidence in God when fear and uncertainty around us. 580 00:45:29.600 --> 00:45:33.110 If this episode encouraged you, I encourage you to share it with someone who 581 00:45:33.110 --> 00:45:38.000 may be facing a difficult season, carrying a burden, or simply needing a reminder 582 00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:42.570 that the Lord is still their light, their salvation, and the strength of their life. 583 00:45:43.449 --> 00:45:46.930 And as always, if you have a prayer request, a testimony of God's faithfulness, 584 00:45:47.210 --> 00:45:51.060 a question about Scripture, or something that you'd like to share with the Bible 585 00:45:51.060 --> 00:45:53.160 Bytes community, I would love to hear from you. 586 00:45:53.530 --> 00:45:59.120 You can reach out through the contact form on our website at Bible-Bytes.com slash contact. 587 00:45:59.489 --> 00:46:05.870 That's Bible-Bytes with a Y, B-Y-T-E-S dot com slash contact. 588 00:46:06.520 --> 00:46:09.630 I also want to take a moment to thank those of you who continue to support Bible 589 00:46:09.630 --> 00:46:13.010 Bytes through your prayers, your encouragement, and financial support. 590 00:46:13.730 --> 00:46:17.770 Every message, every prayer, every share, every contribution helps us continue 591 00:46:17.770 --> 00:46:21.580 producing these episodes and reaching more people with God's Word. 592 00:46:22.460 --> 00:46:25.520 If you'd like to support Bible Bytes, you can find information about supporting 593 00:46:25.520 --> 00:46:30.770 the podcast through the Bible Bytes website at bible-bites.com slash support. 594 00:46:31.130 --> 00:46:36.830 That's bible-bites with a Y-B-Y-T-E-S dot com slash supports. 595 00:46:37.550 --> 00:46:40.440 Bible Bytes is made possible through the Value for Value model. 596 00:46:40.440 --> 00:46:44.620 So if these studies have encouraged your faith or helped you grow in your understanding 597 00:46:44.620 --> 00:46:46.880 of God's word, please consider supporting 598 00:46:46.880 --> 00:46:50.140 the ministry in whatever way you believe that it has blessed you. 599 00:46:50.770 --> 00:46:53.489 And if financial support is something that you can't provide, 600 00:46:53.820 --> 00:46:54.780 well, that's completely fine. 601 00:46:55.180 --> 00:46:58.590 One of the best ways you can support the podcast is simply by sharing an episode 602 00:46:58.590 --> 00:47:02.370 with a family member, a friend, co-worker, someone from your church, 603 00:47:02.370 --> 00:47:06.050 who might just be encouraged by hearing some of God's Word. 604 00:47:06.830 --> 00:47:10.400 If you'd like another way to stay connected with Bible Bytes between episodes, 605 00:47:10.699 --> 00:47:12.780 we also offer a Bible Bytes newsletter. 606 00:47:13.010 --> 00:47:17.290 It's a simple way for us to share biblical encouragement, updates about the 607 00:47:17.290 --> 00:47:20.000 podcast, and occasional resources and announcements. 608 00:47:20.400 --> 00:47:26.310 If you'd like to receive these updates, you can subscribe by visiting Bible-Bytes.com slash newsletter. 609 00:47:26.650 --> 00:47:32.320 That's Bible-Bytes with a Y, B-Y-T-E-S dot com slash newsletter. 610 00:47:32.610 --> 00:47:36.469 We'd love to have you join us, and we're grateful for the opportunity to continue 611 00:47:36.469 --> 00:47:38.410 encouraging you through God's Word. 612 00:47:39.090 --> 00:47:43.120 Thank you for listening, thank you for praying, and thank you for being a part 613 00:47:43.449 --> 00:47:44.890 of the Bible Bytes community. 614 00:47:46.710 --> 00:47:51.580 Today, we've walked through Psalm 27 and considered what it means to have faith 615 00:47:51.580 --> 00:47:54.780 that triumphs when fear and uncertainty surrounds us. 616 00:47:55.520 --> 00:47:58.870 We've seen that faith begins by focusing on who God is. 617 00:47:59.420 --> 00:48:03.930 The Lord is our light, our salvation, and the strength of our life. 618 00:48:04.520 --> 00:48:08.850 We've considered David's desire to seek God's presence rather than simply seeking 619 00:48:08.850 --> 00:48:10.620 relief from his circumstances. 620 00:48:11.420 --> 00:48:16.080 And we've seen that faith can continue to trust God even when the answer hasn't 621 00:48:16.080 --> 00:48:17.890 come and we're still waiting. 622 00:48:18.620 --> 00:48:21.940 So, as you go through this coming week, remember where your confidence is anchored. 623 00:48:22.530 --> 00:48:25.330 You don't have to know exactly what tomorrow will bring. 624 00:48:26.030 --> 00:48:28.780 You don't have to have every circumstance figured out. 625 00:48:29.570 --> 00:48:33.400 You don't have to control the outcome. You can seek the Lord, 626 00:48:33.750 --> 00:48:38.469 bring your fears to Him, trust His goodness, and wait on Him with courage. 627 00:48:39.290 --> 00:48:44.719 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. 628 00:48:47.120 --> 00:48:51.300 Next week, we'll continue our journey through the Psalms with Psalm 28. 629 00:48:52.040 --> 00:48:58.040 In episode 111, When God Answers Prayer, we'll consider what happens when we 630 00:48:58.040 --> 00:49:01.190 recognize that God has heard us and responded to our prayers. 631 00:49:01.690 --> 00:49:05.630 We'll look at the importance of gratitude and what it means to recognize God's 632 00:49:05.630 --> 00:49:09.150 response rather than simply moving on to the next need. 633 00:49:09.630 --> 00:49:13.870 So this week, keep seeking the Lord, keep praying, keep trusting, 634 00:49:14.180 --> 00:49:18.600 and when you find yourself in a season of waiting, remember that your faith 635 00:49:18.600 --> 00:49:21.780 can remain anchored in the God who is faithful. 636 00:49:22.430 --> 00:49:25.560 Until then, keep studying God's Word, keep growing in your faith, 637 00:49:25.790 --> 00:49:29.330 and keep trusting the Lord even when you cannot yet see the outcome. 638 00:49:29.960 --> 00:49:35.900 Join us next time on Bible Bytes, the podcast where we work to inspire faith one byte at a time.