The Passionate Pursuit of Trust in God: Psalm 27
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
Setting the Direction
How important is our
trust
in God? In light of the uncertainties surrounding
us in the contemporary world, Christians must learn to put their complete
trust in God and in his grace.
There is a certain kind of faith in the Bible that is exemplified in Psalm 27, it is
the faith of constant trust, the
faith
in God that stands fast when we are
under attack from the enemy.
It is the kind of trust that exemplified in Paul’s life when he says,
We are troubled on every side but not distressed,
perplexed but not in despair,
persecuted but not forsaken,
cast down but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4.8-9).
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
Introduction to the Psalms of Trust
•
The psalms of urgent
prayer
are the most common type of psalm
within the book of Psalms. In the midst of their praying and in the
midst of their crying out to God, they would come to a place where
they would profess complete trust in the Lord.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
The following psalms of lament include a brief statement of
trust
in
the Lord.
‘… put your trust in the
Lord’ (
Ps. 4.5
).
‘let all those who put their trust in you rejoice’
(
Ps. 5.11
).
‘O
Lord
my God, in you do I put my trust’
(
Ps. 7.1
).
‘but I have trusted in your mercy’
(
Ps. 13.5
).
‘O you who save by your right hand them which put their trust in
you’
(
Ps. 17.7
).
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
In Psalm 27, the confession of trust is transformed from its role as one
small part of the lament psalm to create a new type of psalm, the
psalm of trust
. The simple statement of trust is expanded to fill an
entire psalm.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
Psalm 27
Who is God?
1
The
Lord
is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The
Lord
is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
‘The Lord is…’ – this is a statement of theology. When we attempt to
describe
God, we are expressing our theology. But unlike traditional
theology, which describes God in abstract philosophical terms, the
Psalms use concrete terms.
•
The Psalms are deeply theological, but it is a theology expressed in
the language of
worship
and in the language of the common person.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
God is the Strength of Those Who Trust Him.
•
Psalm 27 is a very personal statement and creed: the psalmist uses
the word ‘my’ – the Lord is
my
God. Of course we all know that God
rules as the God of the universe, who is over everyone, but we must
lay claim to him as
our
God.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
God is the Strength of Those Who Trust Him.
2
When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell.
3
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
I am trusting in this.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
In verse two, the psalmist proclaims that he is trusting God to be his
strength
. He is trusting God to be his safety, even when he is
surrounded. He is believing that God will be his security when the
enemy comes against him.
•
In verse 3, the psalmist adds, ‘even though an army should encamp
against me, my heart shall not fear, though war should rise against
me, I am trusting in this.’ Even if we look out and there is an entire
army surrounding us, God will
protect
us; he will make a way.
•
When an army comes against us, God can deliver us. Sometimes we
realize that our
task
is beyond our abilities, and the opposition is too
strong. The answer is to put our trust in the Lord.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
God is a Shelter for Those Who Worship Him.
4
One thing I have desired of the
Lord
, That will I 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 inquire in His temple.
5
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6
And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the
Lord
(Ps. 27.4-6).
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
The deepest desire of God’s people is to
dwell
in the house of the Lord.
The same sentiment is found in Ps. 23.6, where David announces, ‘I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever’.
•
To dwell in the house of the Lord means to remain there at all times.
To behold the beauty of the Lord means to see God in all his glory.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God’ (Mt. 5.8).
•
The one thing that David especially
desires
is to be in the house of
God. It is there among the people of God that David can enjoy the
Lord’s presence, behold the Lord’s beauty, and seek God’s face. To be
in the house of God is his constant passion, it is the goal and object of
his life.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
History teaches us that a
passion
for the house of God is a
characteristic of revival and spiritual vitality. When God’s people are
spiritually alert, they never become weary of assembling together to
worship the Lord.
•
David’s desire to be always in the house of God is, of course, not
possible in this life. Therefore, if we are to be always in the presence
of God, we must
worship
wherever we may find ourselves. We must
‘rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4.4).
•
The psalmist is trusting in God’s ability to
hide
him from all danger.
The worshiper will be hidden in God’s ‘pavilion’, that is, his shelter.
Also, he will be protected in the secret place of the tabernacle. If that
is not sufficient protection, he will be set up high upon a rock.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
God is the Savior of Those Who Call upon His Name.
7
Hear, O
Lord
, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8
When You said, ‘Seek My face,’
My heart said to You, ‘Your face,
Lord
, I will seek.’
9
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10
When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the
Lord
will take care of me (Ps. 27.7-10).
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
First, the psalmist implores God for continuing
mercy
. Second, he
promises to respond whenever God summons him to prayer. That is,
his heart is always ready to seek God. Third, he pleads for God’s
ongoing presence in his life. Fourth, he affirms the Lord’s tender care.
•
When we pray, we may not feel like God is
listening
, but we must
trust that he is. We must come to God with an urgency in our prayers.
There comes a time when we must persist in prayer, persevere in
prayer.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
God is a Steadfast Guide for Those Who Rely on Him.
11
Teach me Your way, O
Lord
,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the
Lord
In the land of the living.
14
Wait on the
Lord
; Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the
Lord
! (Ps. 27.11-14)
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
The psalmist trusts that God will be his
guide
. He prays, ‘Teach me
your way, O Lord’. God’s ways are not our ways. We have our own
ways. We have our own plans. We have our own schemes and ideas.
David, however, prays, ‘Teach me
your
way, O Lord’.
•
We need to realize that when we trust in the Lord, he will
lead
us in
the right way – his way, not our way. He will lead us in the way that he
wants us to go.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
If we will trust in him, God will lead us. However, he does not always
answer
us as quickly as we would like. The psalmist, therefore,
encourages us to ‘wait upon the Lord and be of good courage.’
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
We wait with confidence; we wait with hope; we wait with
trust
; we
wait with belief, with faith, not in fear.
•
We may not know what he will do, but we know he will
act
, and he
will act powerfully.
T
HE
P
ASSIONATE
P
URSUIT
OF
T
RUST
IN
G
OD
:
P
SALM
27
•
The Lord is watching over us. In Luke 12, Jesus said that God sees
every
sparrow
that falls, and how much more does God care for us
than for the sparrows.
In Psalm 27, the importance of trust in God is highlighted amidst uncertainties in the world. This Psalm showcases unwavering faith, echoing Paul's resilience in adversity. Through expressions of trust in God, believers find strength and hope, embodying a theology of worship and devotion. Dive into the profound message of complete reliance on God's grace in the face of challenges and find inspiration to cultivate steadfast faith.
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Presentation Transcript
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 Setting the Direction How important is our trust in God? In light of the uncertainties surrounding us in the contemporary world, Christians must learn to put their complete trust in God and in his grace. There is a certain kind of faith in the Bible that is exemplified in Psalm 27, it is the faith of constant trust, the faith in God that stands fast when we are under attack from the enemy. It is the kind of trust that exemplified in Paul s life when he says, We are troubled on every side but not distressed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4.8-9).
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 Introduction to the Psalms of Trust The psalms of urgent prayer are the most common type of psalm within the book of Psalms. In the midst of their praying and in the midst of their crying out to God, they would come to a place where they would profess complete trust in the Lord.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 The following psalms of lament include a brief statement of trust in the Lord. put your trust in the LORD (Ps. 4.5). let all those who put their trust in you rejoice (Ps. 5.11). O LORDmy God, in you do I put my trust (Ps. 7.1). but I have trusted in your mercy (Ps. 13.5). O you who save by your right hand them which put their trust in you (Ps. 17.7).
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 In Psalm 27, the confession of trust is transformed from its role as one small part of the lament psalm to create a new type of psalm, the psalm of trust. The simple statement of trust is expanded to fill an entire psalm.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 Psalm 27 Who is God? 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 The Lord is this is a statement of theology. When we attempt to describe God, we are expressing our theology. But unlike traditional theology, which describes God in abstract philosophical terms, the Psalms use concrete terms. The Psalms are deeply theological, but it is a theology expressed in the language of worship and in the language of the common person.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 God is the Strength of Those Who Trust Him. Psalm 27 is a very personal statement and creed: the psalmist uses the word my the Lord is my God. Of course we all know that God rules as the God of the universe, who is over everyone, but we must lay claim to him as our God.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 God is the Strength of Those Who Trust Him. 2 When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, I am trusting in this.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 In verse two, the psalmist proclaims that he is trusting God to be his strength. He is trusting God to be his safety, even when he is surrounded. He is believing that God will be his security when the enemy comes against him. In verse 3, the psalmist adds, even though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, though war should rise against me, I am trusting in this. Even if we look out and there is an entire army surrounding us, God will protect us; he will make a way. When an army comes against us, God can deliver us. Sometimes we realize that our task is beyond our abilities, and the opposition is too strong. The answer is to put our trust in the Lord.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 God is a Shelter for Those Who Worship Him. 4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I 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 inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD (Ps. 27.4-6).
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 The deepest desire of God s people is to dwell in the house of the Lord. The same sentiment is found in Ps. 23.6, where David announces, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever . To dwell in the house of the Lord means to remain there at all times. To behold the beauty of the Lord means to see God in all his glory. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God (Mt. 5.8). The one thing that David especially desires is to be in the house of God. It is there among the people of God that David can enjoy the Lord s presence, behold the Lord s beauty, and seek God s face. To be in the house of God is his constant passion, it is the goal and object of his life.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 History teaches us that a passion for the house of God is a characteristic of revival and spiritual vitality. When God s people are spiritually alert, they never become weary of assembling together to worship the Lord. David s desire to be always in the house of God is, of course, not possible in this life. Therefore, if we are to be always in the presence of God, we must worship wherever we may find ourselves. We must rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4.4). The psalmist is trusting in God s ability to hide him from all danger. The worshiper will be hidden in God s pavilion , that is, his shelter. Also, he will be protected in the secret place of the tabernacle. If that is not sufficient protection, he will be set up high upon a rock.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 God is the Savior of Those Who Call upon His Name. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8When You said, Seek My face, My heart said to You, Your face, LORD, I will seek. 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me (Ps. 27.7-10).
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 First, the psalmist implores God for continuing mercy. Second, he promises to respond whenever God summons him to prayer. That is, his heart is always ready to seek God. Third, he pleads for God s ongoing presence in his life. Fourth, he affirms the Lord s tender care. When we pray, we may not feel like God is listening, but we must trust that he is. We must come to God with an urgency in our prayers. There comes a time when we must persist in prayer, persevere in prayer.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 God is a Steadfast Guide for Those Who Rely on Him. 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! (Ps. 27.11-14)
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 The psalmist trusts that God will be his guide. He prays, Teach me your way, O Lord . God s ways are not our ways. We have our own ways. We have our own plans. We have our own schemes and ideas. David, however, prays, Teach me yourway, O Lord . We need to realize that when we trust in the Lord, he will lead us in the right way his way, not our way. He will lead us in the way that he wants us to go.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 If we will trust in him, God will lead us. However, he does not always answer us as quickly as we would like. The psalmist, therefore, encourages us to wait upon the Lord and be of good courage.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 We wait with confidence; we wait with hope; we wait with trust; we wait with belief, with faith, not in fear. We may not know what he will do, but we know he will act, and he will act powerfully.
THE PASSIONATE PURSUITOF TRUSTIN GOD: PSALM 27 The Lord is watching over us. In Luke 12, Jesus said that God sees every sparrow that falls, and how much more does God care for us than for the sparrows.
