The Lord blessed us with a wonderful weekend of
ministry, worship, service, and fellowship. On Saturday evening, we prepared,
served, and shared a wonderful dinner with our friends and neighbors in
Endicott. The Evening was preceded by proclamation of the Word of the Lord as
Brother Dave shared about our struggles and triumphs as sojourners with our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. The speaker shared about the wonderful Grace of the
Lord towards people like King David. We shared a sumptuous dinner after the
time of proclamation of the word. The menu included an amazing curry of the
other white meat and home- made biscuits and creamed Chicken. There were plenty
of homemade desserts, very ornate and colorful. It was great evening of dining
and great time of fellowship. Praise the Lord for those who came to share and
serve. There were many young people who came to serve. We all came home soulful
and joyful.
The Lord blessed us during
our morning worship services yesterday. Alice preached at the Wesley United
Methodist Church. The Psalm for yesterday was taken from Psalm 27. We are
reminded in the Word of the Lord that life on earth is not a playground. It is
a battleground. For those who do not know the Lord, they think life is a
playground. They are hoodwinked by the enemy. They become disappointed very
quickly. Once we recognize that this life is a battleground we seek the Lord,
we turn to the Lord, and we trust the Lord who is our Captain and who has never
lost a battle. As we read the words
of this psalm, we encounter the imagery of battle being portrayed in these
verses. Words like “enemies” and “foes” in verse 2; “host” in verse 3; “war” in verse 3; and “enemies” again in verse 6, all
speaking of warfare. Phrases such as
“though an host encamp against me”,
verse 3; and “though war should
rise against me”, verse 3 speak of a battle being waged against
David. It appears that he was in a most
difficult situation. Yet, it is also
very clear from reading these verses that even in the midst of the battles he
fought on with hope and
confidence.
Hope is a powerful thing.
G. K. Chesterton said, “There is
no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as
expectation of something better tomorrow.” Emily Dickinson, in one of her poems, said, “Hope is a thing with feathers".
Certainly this is the main idea of Psalm 27. In
verses 1-3 David expressed his confidence in God as well as 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. He lived in His
presence, looking at His beauty, and listening to His voice. Because he focused
on God and dwelt 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. David was reminded that God would
never forsake him (vs. 10) and He would always guide him (vs. 11). Therefore,
even though he did not receive an immediate answer or relief he could still say
in verse 13, "I am still confident..."
This is the consistent message of the Bible regarding fear. In Isaiah 26:3 God has said "I will keep in perfect peace all who trust in me, who thoughts are fixed on me!" We also see the same idea and Philippians 4:6-7, which says, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. Then the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." As David focused on God his fears disappeared so that his heart was confident that he would see "the goodness of the Lord" even though he had not yet received the answer he’d longed for. So, he counseled himself and his words counsel us in verse 14 to "wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart..." David, like us, had many reasons to have anxiety and fear in his life but he had a greater reason to have peace. As we, like David, focus on the Lord and remember that He is our Light, our Salvation, and our Stronghold we can have victory over fear.
This is the consistent message of the Bible regarding fear. In Isaiah 26:3 God has said "I will keep in perfect peace all who trust in me, who thoughts are fixed on me!" We also see the same idea and Philippians 4:6-7, which says, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. Then the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." As David focused on God his fears disappeared so that his heart was confident that he would see "the goodness of the Lord" even though he had not yet received the answer he’d longed for. So, he counseled himself and his words counsel us in verse 14 to "wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart..." David, like us, had many reasons to have anxiety and fear in his life but he had a greater reason to have peace. As we, like David, focus on the Lord and remember that He is our Light, our Salvation, and our Stronghold we can have victory over fear.
In Christ,
Brown
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