FAITH TO FACE TODAY’S TROUBLE
Psalms 27:1-14, NRSV & MSG
NRSV
Triumphant Song of Confidence
Of David.
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? 2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh — my adversaries and foes — they shall stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire 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 set me high on a rock. 6 Now my head is 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 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. 13 I believe that I shall see 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!
MSG
1 Light, space, zest —
that’s God!
So, with him on my side I’m fearless,
afraid of no one and nothing.
2 When vandal hordes ride down
ready to eat me alive,
Those bullies and toughs
fall flat on their faces.
3 When besieged,
I’m calm as a baby.
When all hell breaks loose,
I’m collected and cool.
4 I’m asking God for one thing,
only one thing:
To live with him in his house
my whole life long.
I’ll contemplate his beauty;
I’ll study at his feet.
5 That’s the only quiet, secure place
in a noisy world,
The perfect getaway,
far from the buzz of traffic.
6 God holds me head and shoulders
above all who try to pull me down.
I’m headed for his place to offer anthems
that will raise the roof!
Already I’m singing God-songs;
I’m making music to God.
7-9 Listen, God, I’m calling at the top of my lungs:
“Be good to me! Answer me!”
When my heart whispered, “Seek God,”
my whole being replied,
“I’m seeking him!”
Don’t hide from me now!
9-10 You’ve always been right there for me;
don’t turn your back on me now.
Don’t throw me out, don’t abandon me;
you’ve always kept the door open.
My father and mother walked out and left me,
but God took me in.
11-12 Point me down your highway, God;
direct me along a well-lighted street;
show my enemies whose side you’re on.
Don’t throw me to the dogs,
those liars who are out to get me,
filling the air with their threats.
13-14 I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness
in the exuberant earth.
Stay with God!
Take heart. Don’t quit.
I’ll say it again:
Stay with God.
David’s life may appear glamorous to some. However, his life before he becomes king and after he becomes king may be exciting, but not always easy nor enviable. More than once, David finds himself the object of resentment and ridicule. His life was centered on the monarchy and grounded in his spirituality and was always mired in drama – foreseen, unforeseen, and sudden. No matter what happens to David, he finds a way to face life’s challenges with confidence in the Lord’s promises, care, and power.
Psalm 27 is a classic case in point. David stresses an unshakable trust in the Lord, who can be trusted during all of the shifting seasons of life. How does trusting in the Lord enable us to cope with the problems of the present and remain unflinching when thinking about future challenges? Through the testimony of David, we can learn and establish some beneficial spiritual insights. What is the Lord, through David, teaching us about handling our present problems?
- We can cope with the problems of the present by turning to God, who will ever be our protector. (Vss. 1-3, NRSV)
- We can cope with problems of the present by staying in God’s presence. (Vss. 4-6, NRSV)
- We can cope with the problems of the present by asking God to stick with us through thick and thin. (Vss. 7-12, NRSV)
- We can cope with the problems of the present by maintaining our hope in the Lord. (Vss. 13-14)
Today, let’s remember that we may have problems, but God will be our problem-solver if we trust Him.
