My Light and My Salvation - Psalm 27

Introduction

A solo singer sounds great, but nothing can compare to a beautiful harmony. God has embedded in the world He made unity in diversity and diversity in unity to match the mysterious doctrine of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity explains much in the Christian life. The early church faced a battle it did not ask for when a pastor named Arius began teaching that Jesus was not fully God. Because the doctrine of the trinity is hard to understand, many people latched on to this heresy and believed it. All except one man with the cool name of Athanasius. Athanasius was exiled 5 times for holding the line on the divinity of Jesus. Keeping the faith is not like keeping a collection of stamps. You can keep your stamp collection in a nice leather-bound book in an office with a comfy chair and no one else will bother you. But those who keep the faith do so through much pain and sorrow.

The Passage

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. 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. 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. 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. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” 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! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up. Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord. Psalm 27

Explain the Passage

The Lord is David’s light, salvation, and defense (v. 1). Why fear? His enemies stumble because of God (v.2). So, he doesn’t cower but stands confident even as his enemies surround (v. 3). David asks to dwell in God’s house all his life, to see God’s beauty, and to meditate in His temple (v. 4). Why? Because in the day of trouble, God will defend from His temple (v.5). When God defends from His temple, He will lift David up with shouts of joy and songs of praise (v.6). David molds his heart after God so much that when God commands to seek Him, David gladly obeys (v. 8). David loves God because God loves Him first. David seeks God through prayer (vv. 9, 11). David’s reliance on God means that sometimes his friends and family desert him, but God never will (v.10). Because David follows God, He will have foes. Because he has foes, God will teach Him how to live (v. 11). Wait for God, be strong and courageous (v. 14). It’s the only option (v. 13).

The Light of Trial

This passage shows us two important truths about God and hardship that I want to discuss before I move to the application. The First truth is that the Light Saves in Dark Times. In the day of trouble, God will hide and protect in His tabernacle (v.5). In the New Covenant, Christ is the new tabernacle and temple (John 2:21). And as God’s people, the church, we are also the tabernacle (1 Cor 3:16). In days of trouble, Jesus protects His people from shame and persecution by  declaring them righteous (2 Cor 5:21). As a church, we minister that righteousness to people in their darkest days.

The second truth is that dark times reveal if you have the light. Notice verses 2-3, David’s enemies surround him, attack him, and persecute him, which led him to verse 4, “one thing I seek is dwelling in God’s house.” For David, when times were the harshest, he wanted God more. For Godly people, trial produces more godliness and more desires for godliness. For wicked people, trials reveal their wickedness and their desires for more wickedness. I’ve seen godly saints in tremendous pain and sorrow who cling to God in those times. And when they lash out in anger or act selfishly, they quickly repent. I’ve seen others who use their trial to excuse their selfish attitude. In their mind, they have no need to repent because they have it rough. But that’s not what David did. When times God hard, he ran after God more. He repented more. He trusted more. Praying biblically means bringing up God’s promises in prayer. Do you trust the promises of God? If so, God should hear you ask for those promises in prayer especially when you don’t feel like it.

For the Christian, the trust of God is our comfort during trials. The truth of God is also the cause of many of our trials if we believe it. Remember the apostles in Acts? They were arrested because they trusting in Jesus.

Have Faith in the Light

Sadly, one thing I see with some is that in times of trial the one place they don’t want to be is in God’s house with God’s people. When affliction surrounded David, He ran to the house of the Lord. When affliction surrounds others, they run away from the house of the Lord. Not only does this prove a weak or false faith, but the Devil looks for Christians on their own (1 Pet 5:8).

You can’t muster up faith with will power and effort. Faith is a gift (Eph 2:8; Phil 1:29) like life is a gift. No one in here is responsible for their being alive. Life was given to you. The same is true for your spiritual life. But even though you didn’t start your heart beating, you are responsible for how you live with each heart beat. God said “seek my face” (v.8) first then we seek His face second. When it comes to our God-given faith, we have to exercise it like we do our physical muscles. Yes, read the Bible and pray in faith. But also work your job in faith because a righteous man leaves an inheritance to his children and grandchildren (Prov 13:22). If you have faith in that promise of God, you will work really hard tomorrow in faith. God provides whatever you need in every circumstance. His pantry is always full, you just need to be in the house and do what He says when He gives you what you need.

We wait on God because He will come to our aid. If you trust in God, you will wait on Him to keep His promises.

Have Joy in the Light

God planted joy in every Christian’s heart. The fruit of the Spirit is joy (Gal 5:22-23). However, that tree grows in the garden of our heart where other things grow too. So, Joy is a gift. It’s also a fight. Fight for it. If you’re prone to sorrow or melancholy, then joy will be a fight. If you’re still living in grief well after a trial, then practicing joy will take effort. Joy is less of an emotion than it is a choice. It’s more of a verb than a noun. Our culture peddles the lie that something can only be real and authentic if its spontaneous. Love is only real if its random, love at first sight kind of love. But that’s not true. God doesn’t say “only if you feel like it” with His command to repent, believe, love, and give. Instead, scripture often encourages you to examine your current emotions and thoughts in light of the bible (2 Cor 10:5). Even modern psychology is catching up with the Bible. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is growing in popularity right now. Essentially, it states that if you foster an environment and habits of mental health, you will become mentally healthy. Habits create desire. If you have joyful habits, you will have joyful desires.

Enjoy your joy. If you’re prone to having too many irons in the fire. Take them out and celebrate the goodness of God. This is why God gives us Sabbath rest. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Not the worry for tomorrow. Not the anxiety of today. The joy of the Lord. We should be the kind of people who sing in difficulty. The shout for joy in (Ps 27:6 is a raw battle cry of jolly glee (1 Sam 4:5). God has always desired that His presence be filled with joy (Lev 23:24; 25:9). Joy doesn’t annoy God. The fact that we thnk it does us proves we need more of it.

Have Courage in the Light

God wants His people to be strong and courageous (Josh 1:6, 9, 18). A football player can’t get stronger unless he adds more weights to the bench. A Christian can’t grow in courage with out enemies. We should pray to have enemies. Why? So that we can then pray for our enemies. Jesus tells us to love and pray for our enemies (Matt 5:44). So, who are they?

Nice guy Christianity makes Matthew 5:44 and today’s passage in Psalm 27 impossible to apply. Do you want Christian joy? Then get an enemy.

Men we should be the ones embodying courage and joy. We should take wounds for ministering at the abortion mills on Saturday, then sing loudly on Sunday. When I see men too ashamed to sing and raise their hands for Jesus on Sunday, I see men to ashamed to witness for Jesus on Monday.

Christians should love God more than comfort and safety. We should be raising young men and women to trust the Lord. And in the Bible, one thing I’ve learned about faith—its scary and risky and dangerous and worth it.

Conclusion

After Peter and John healed a man, they were arrested. Their enemies, the sanhedrin who put Jesus to death days earlier were trying to figure out what to do with them.

On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. When they had placed them in the center, they began toinquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they beganto confer with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. “But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples devise futile things? ‘The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:5–31

And after another arrest listen to what happend

They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Acts 5:40–42

Let us follow in their steps.