February 8, 2017
ONE THING
Psalm 27
Meg McKinley
Central Truth
Confidently battling fear requires one thing: courageous trust in God.
Key Verse | Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalm 27:1)
Psalm 27
The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David.
1
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold
1
27:1
Or refuge
of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2
When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet
2
27:3
Or in this
I will be confident.
4
One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire
3
27:4
Or meditate
in his temple.
5
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
6
And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
7
Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8
You have said, “Seek
4
27:8
The command (seek) is addressed to more than one person
my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
5
27:8
The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
9
Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the LORD will take me in.
11
Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
13
I believe that I shall look
6
27:13
Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed that I would look
upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
14
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 27
Sometimes our fears are imagined, like when I was afraid 20 years ago that our new church friends wouldn’t like us any more when they learned how badly my husband and I were struggling in our marriage. Sometimes our fears are real, like when I took a job in a county government setting where politics, power, and personal agendas carried the day. It wasn’t long before I realized I was literally surrounded by enemies with offices not far from mine. Those were anxious days.
What do you do in the face of fear, anxiety, or personal attacks? My immediate response is to want to control people and circumstances, to direct the outcomes because I like calling the shots. But if you’re like me, you may have noticed that the more we try to control things, the worse they seem to get.
David’s battle strategy in Psalm 27 shows us a better way. Instead of relying on his own tactics, we see David courageously trusting God for all his needs right in the middle of a very real battle. David expressed great confidence, knowing nothing could prevail against him with God as his defender (verses 1-3). Just thinking about being with God brought David great security and comfort (verses 4-6). And when anxiety gripped David, he earnestly turned to God in prayer confident He would hear him, help him, and keep him alive as he waited in strength and courage (verses 7-14).
When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, His very Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us. Today, we are the temple of God! The fact that He is always with us should give us great confidence! He wants us to talk to Him, ask Him for help, and trust Him patiently in every situation instead of trying to handle things our own way.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Are you ready to change your battle strategy?
Discussion Questions
1. When fear, anxiety, or personal attacks come your way, what is your natural response?
2. Reflecting on your life, would you say your natural responses have tended to make difficult situations better or worse?
3. Which specific tactics from David’s example do you need to put in place to more courageously trust Christ when faced with fear, anxiety, or personal attacks?
4. Listen to Shane & Shane’s Psalm 27 (One Thing) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndZsEDuCVAQ. What effect does this song have on your spirit, especially if you're in a time of fear and anxiety right now?