Good morning. Praise the Lord for this new day. We had a service of death and resurrection yesterday for Edward Hower, one of the very faithful and devoted servants of our Lord. Ed went to be with Jesus and entered the Church Triumphant on November 3, 2011. He was 75 years old. The church was full of people who loved Ed. It was truly a service of thanksgiving. So many people spoke about how Ed touched their lives. A full Choir sang two numbers including " It is well with my soul".. The services lasted over one and half hours. We praise the Lord for Ed, who loved Lord and served him with much devotion, great determination and relentless passion. Ed had chosen several Scriptural passages to be used during the service, one of which was Psalm 27.
We are an anxiety-laden society as can be perceived as the sales of many books dealing with anxiety and the sales of calming drugs indicate. Fear is very unpleasant and it is very harmful physically, mentally, and even spiritually. As the Bible tells us in Matthew 13:22, fear or anxiety chokes out the word of God. Fear can be very displeasing and dishonoring God if we do not respond to it with faith in Him. As the Bible says we will have anxieties but we are to "cast all of our anxieties on him." We all want solutions to the fear problem. We all want answers to anxiety. We are looking for something to relieve us from our fears, something to reassure us. We look for some source of security that will instill a perfect confidence and peace within our hearts.
Certainly this is the main idea of Psalm 27. In verses 1-3 David expressed his confidence in God and an absence of fear in a very fearful situation because he focused on God as his Light, Salvation, and Stronghold. In verses 4-7 we see David focused on God, living in His presence, looking at His beauty, and listening to His voice. Because of this focus on God and dwelling in His presence David could lift his head with confidence and sing with joy as we see in verses 5,6. In vs. 7-14 he again focused on God and prayed to Him in the midst of this trouble, reminded that God would never forsake him (vs. 10) and would always guide him (vs. 11); therefore, even though he received no immediate answer or relief he could still say in verse 13, "I am still confident..."
David asked the rhetorical question: "Whom should I fear?" or as we would put it, "Why should I be afraid?" Sometimes we may feel that we are all alone and fear and anxiety may try to creep in, but in truth God is always there even when we can not see Him or feel Him, and that is reason for reassurance.
Leonard Sweet, tells about one tribe of native Americans which had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. But on this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods, by himself, all night long.
Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked. No doubt it was a terrifying night for many.
After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father. He had been there all night long.
As David focused on the Lord his fears diminished and his confidence grew so that he could be assured instead of anxious in every kind of situation. David’s focus on God is easy to see in verse 4. He had made God the very thing that he sought over all others. As he said "one thing that I ask - this is what I seek..." First David desired to "dwell in the house of the Lord", which is a metaphor for living in God’s presence and staying close to God. Most people in David’s day visited the temple but David wanted to live there as he said "all the days of his life." His life was continually focused on God and therefore he knew God intimately and that gave him confidence in every situation. When we, like David, live with God, look to God, and listen to God we will come to know Him intimately and during times of fear we will be able to express the same faith that David did in verses 5,6 where he says, "In the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord."
Certainly this is the main idea of Psalm 27. In verses 1-3 David expressed his confidence in God and an absence of fear in a very fearful situation because he focused on God as his Light, Salvation, and Stronghold. In verses 4-7 we see David focused on God, living in His presence, looking at His beauty, and listening to His voice. Because of this focus on God and dwelling in His presence David could lift his head with confidence and sing with joy as we see in verses 5,6. In vs. 7-14 he again focused on God and prayed to Him in the midst of this trouble, reminded that God would never forsake him (vs. 10) and would always guide him (vs. 11); therefore, even though he received no immediate answer or relief he could still say in verse 13, "I am still confident..."
David asked the rhetorical question: "Whom should I fear?" or as we would put it, "Why should I be afraid?" Sometimes we may feel that we are all alone and fear and anxiety may try to creep in, but in truth God is always there even when we can not see Him or feel Him, and that is reason for reassurance.
Leonard Sweet, tells about one tribe of native Americans which had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. But on this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods, by himself, all night long.
Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked. No doubt it was a terrifying night for many.
After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father. He had been there all night long.
As David focused on the Lord his fears diminished and his confidence grew so that he could be assured instead of anxious in every kind of situation. David’s focus on God is easy to see in verse 4. He had made God the very thing that he sought over all others. As he said "one thing that I ask - this is what I seek..." First David desired to "dwell in the house of the Lord", which is a metaphor for living in God’s presence and staying close to God. Most people in David’s day visited the temple but David wanted to live there as he said "all the days of his life." His life was continually focused on God and therefore he knew God intimately and that gave him confidence in every situation. When we, like David, live with God, look to God, and listen to God we will come to know Him intimately and during times of fear we will be able to express the same faith that David did in verses 5,6 where he says, "In the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord."
In Christ,
Saturday , November 5.2011
Praise and worship service:
First United Methodist Church , Endicott
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6PM Gathering- Coffeee- Fellowship
6.30PM Worship
Music: Laureen Naik
Speaker: Rev Brown Naik
Dec. 6th is our planned trip to NYC to see the Radio City Christmas show. We need to confirm the bus and show tickets so must have all reservations and money into the office by Thursday, Nov.10. . You don’t want to miss this great opportunity, a bargain at $90 for ride and show. Call 748-6329
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