Encouragement (Part 1): Week 4, Day 3

Today we are going to APPLY Psalm 27 to our lives.  Before we do that, take the time to read through the Psalm again, absorbing the words of the Scripture.

In verses 1-3, David describes the Lord in three ways:

1. my light
2. my salvation
3. the defense of my life

David is facing evil doers, adversaries, enemies, host camps, and war as he is writing this Psalm.  He had every reason to write a Psalm of being worried and afraid.  But instead of letting his fear overtake him, David put is faith and trust in the Lord - his light, his salvation, his defense.  In verse 3, David says that, "in spite of this" - in spite of the evil doers, in spite of the adversaries, in spite of the enemies, in spite of the host camps, and in spite of the war, David is putting his confidence in the Lord.  We need to be like David and put all of our faith and trust in the Lord God.  No matter what is around us, the Lord is our light, our salvation, and our defense.

In verses 4-6, David asks from God to dwell in His house and to meditate in His temple forever.  Forever is a time phrase (green clock).  Because of the reference to "secret place" in verse 5, I do not think that David was talking about a literal place.  I think that David was referring to an internal, safe place, that he will always have, forever.  Think about what the Scriptures says in 1 Corinthians 6:19.  "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you."  If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is always inside of you, with you wherever you go.  When our bodies die on this earth, our souls will go to heaven where we will be with God forever.  David understood that he not only had the Lord with him on earth, but that he would forever be able to be with the Lord, even after he died.  David experienced joy when he was in the tent.  He offered God praise and sacrifice.

We can have these same experiences with God within ourselves.  I hope these studies on encouragement have shown you the joy that God wants us to experience.  He is always with us, no matter what is happening around us.  No matter what kind of enemies or evil doers are at our doors, we can offer praise to God.

The Lord commands David to seek His face, and  David commits to do this.  We looked at the passage in Joshua about meditating on the Bible day and night.  We are commanded over and over again in Scripture to always seek the Lord.  We do this by studying our Bibles, by praying, by living our lives 100% of the time in tune with God.

Look at verse 10.  This verse literally means, "If my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up."  God's message does not change through out Scripture. In Joshua we are told that God will never leave us or forsake us. In Psalm 27 we are told that even if those who were once closest to us abandon us, God will still be with us.

David asks God for three specific things in verses 11 and 12:

1. teach me Your way
2. lead me in a level path
3. keep me safe from my adversaries

How can we learn the ways of the Lord? By studying His Scriptures.  I have said it before, and I'll say it over and over again. I truly believe that the Lord has given us 66 books that He wants us to know, understand, and do.  We can learn the Lord's ways by studying the road map that He wrote for us in the Bible.  He has given us everything we need, we just have to be proactive in reading and studying it.  Thank you, sisters, for sticking with this Bible study.  Not for my sake!  I do not want you to study the Scriptures for me.  I want you to study the Scriptures for you.  I want you to grow in the Lord, to meditate on His Word, and to live your lives the way God intended us to live - as holy people, set apart to glorify Him

David wanted God to lead him in a level path.  According to Psalm 5:8, God's level path is righteousness.  Doing the right thing.  Being righteous before God.  This is something that we should strive for every day.  

David was facing evil doers, adversaries, enemies, host camps, and war as he was writing this Psalm.  It would have been so easy for David to despair, but his faith in God kept him from that.  David said that he, "would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord."  David knew what his eternal future held.  And because of that, he encourages us to wait for the Lord, be strong, and be courageous.

Through out this Psalm, David is constantly seeking his refuge in God, and he is reminded that God is always with him.  No matter what we are facing in the world, God is always our refuge.  We face evil everywhere we go.  We have adversaries and enemies everywhere we go.  David reminds us that we can take refuge in God.

David also reminds us the importance of staying in the Word of God. We never need to neglect the importance of God's Word and learning His ways. God's way is that of righteousness.  If we continue to seek Him, we will continue to learn the way of righteousness.  As we learn the way of righteousness, we will live that out in our lives.  The Scriptures say over and over again that people will be known by their fruit.  If you study the ways of righteousness and live that out daily, you will be known by good fruits.  (It is so much better to be known by good fruits than by bad fruits!)

Finally, my sisters, wait on the Lord! Be strong and courageous and wait on the Lord.  David said it twice - that means that it is doubly important.  Isaiah 55:8-9 says, " 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are Your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.' "  God's ways are so much better than ours.  Let us trust in Him, study His Word, and wait on His ways.

To read the previous posts on Encouragement, click these links:

Week 1: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Week 2: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Week 3: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Week 4: Day 1, Day 2

Encouragement (Part 1): Week 4, Day 2

Today we are going to INTERPRET the Psalm of David that is recorded in Psalm 27.  Take the time to read through the entire Psalm slowly.

Read through the Psalm again, and write these things down in your notebook:

1. In verses 1-3, David describes the Lord in 3 ways.  What are they?
2. What is David facing in his life when he is writing this Psalm?
3. In verse 3, what is David's confidence in?
4. In verse 4, what does David ask from the Lord?
5. In verse 5, the word temple means refuge. What does David consider the temple of God to be?
6. Do you think David is talking about a literal tent or temple? Look closely at verse 5.  Does that change your answer?
7. What emotion does David experience in the tent? What does David offer to God?
8. In verse 8, what did the Lord command David to do? What did David commit to do?
9. In verses 11 and 12, David asks God for three specific things.  What are they?
10. What does "level path" mean? Use Psalm 5:8 to help you answer.
11. David's conclusion is in verses 13 and 14.  Summarize these verses.  Read Psalm 31:19 to see more about the goodness of the Lord.

What does David encourage us to do do in verse 14? Wait for the Lord, and be strong and courageous.  The theme that we started at the beginning of this study on encouragement has carried through this far.  If God says the same thing so many times in the Bible, I think we ought to listen and do what He says!

Our next study will be the APPLICATION piece of this week - my favorite!  See you then!

To read the previous posts on Encouragement, click these links:

Week 1: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Week 2: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Week 3: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Week 4: Day 1

Encouragement (Part 1): Week 4, Day 1

Welcome back to another week of encouragement!

I always consider the Psalms as a breath of fresh air.  I love to read the Psalms, especially the Psalms of King David.  I have spent time studying the life of David.  For all the turmoil he went through, he was able to write such beautiful, comforting, divinely-inspired words.

This week we are going to be studying Psalm 27.  Read through the entire Psalm once.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would 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;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." 

Now read through it again, and use the following marks to help you OBSERVE the text:

• Mark every reference to Lord with a purple triangle colored yellow, and color every pronoun of the Lord yellow.
• Color every reference to the house of the Lord, temple, tabernacle, and tent blue
• Mark every time phrase with a green clock

Read through the Psalm again, now that you have marked the text.  Write a thought you have from today's reading in your notebook.  Our next study will be INTERPRETING the text.

To read the previous posts on Encouragement, click these links:

Week 1: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Week 2: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Week 3: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3