The Power of Proclaiming Our Faith - Psalm 27

(this was a recent Wed night sermon by my Pastor)
Sometimes when we are exhausted, it can make our problems seem even bigger. We can have a tendency to look at everything on our plate and feel overwhelmed. On one hand it is good to come to the end of ourselves because it makes us aware of our dependency on God to make it through the day; it is good to acknowledge our need of Him and that we are dependant on Him.

on the other hand, if we never move beyond that sense of feeling overwhelmed and we just pray, “God I can’t do this by myself”, we never come into a place of greater faith. We need to come to a place of acknowledging “Yes God, this is a big problem or a big circumstance in my life, but Lord I know that with Your help I can do this or this situation can be worked out”. To stay at the point of feeling overwhelmed can drain us and can drain the life out of our prayer time. We need to move beyond feelings of fear or inadequacy to praying in faith, like David did.

David had numerous problems which could overwhelm him but he was one to move beyond the circumstances and pray in faith by proclaiming God’s goodness. He came from attitude of “I know the Lord will move in this situation. I know God desires to help me”. Ps 27:12 David has people against him, Saul is pursuing him to kill him when he wrote this psalm and David was fleeing…..
what did David do that moved him from being overwhelmed to being filled with faith?
When we are moved to a position of faith, not just wishing that God will help, but believing that God will help, this puts our heart at ease. Sometimes we need to get a hold of ourselves and remember Who God Is & what He does. He will partner with you... but you must also partner with Him, it is a 2 way street.

What helped David to move to a position of faith?

A. David personalized what he knew to be true about God
v.1 David could have said,” the Lord is light” and that would have been true. but instead he says “the Lord is my light”- He lights my path, He directs my steps. You need to shift your prayer from God I don’t know what to do or how this will work out to You are my light and I know that I’ve called on You and You will lead me. I want to thank You; I may not have a clue what to do but I know that You’ll guide me and light my way. As you make a proclamation of faith aloud in your prayer life, it will move your heart from feeling overwhelmed to trust and joy. God You are the Deliverer – You've helped me in the past and I know You will help me again. I know that You are good and desire the best for me. v1 – If God is my Light to show me what to do at the right time – why should I fear? You are my Stronghold, my Fortress, my Defender. You will help and protect me, so who/what should I be afraid of? In personalizing what he knew to be true about God, David moved from a place of fear to one of faith.

B. v3 –David is confident in the Lord
“ yet I will be confident”. wow what if more Christians lived that way? Commit to move from an aspect of fear when praying about your problems, to one of faith. God is honored when we do that. It is not wrong to pray in proclaiming our faith in Him – (not name it claim it), but rather bring honor to Him and be increased in your faith by reminding yourself Who He Is. This lifts your heart to a new level of faith in Him...... and faith, is the stuff of answered prayer.
v5 – my heart will not fear…. I will be confident – he is saying - God is going to take care of me.
Eph 3 – He can do more than you can ask or imagine.

C. v14 David anticipates what God will do
‘wait’ for the Lord – this is the same word used in Isaiah 40:31. (those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength') The word wait for us can hold a very negative connotation in our impatient society; a delay; to be put on hold. but the Hebrew word really means ‘to hope with anticipation’. Like a prayer of ‘Lord I know You want the best in this situation and I can’t wait to see how You are going to work this out’. Hope in the Lord. v14 Be strong and a person of courage. wait on Him with hopeful anticipation. …’God I know You will take care of me, that You want the best for me and I just cant wait to see what You are going to do next in this’. If you will get in the habit of proclaiming your faith in His desire to see good in our lives and His ability to accomplish what we cannot by ourselves… you can go into your prayer room one way (overwhelmed) and come out of it with your heart lifted and encouraged and your faith increased. There is no faith in simply praying – ‘God I have this big problem and I know that it is beyond me and I cannot do this on my own’. You need to add to that prayer that He can do anything and nothing is beyond Him and that He is your Provider. You need to rely on Him and also say God I know that your Word says that You want to help me, that You love me. Proclaiming your faith in God can move your heart from dreading something to excitement. God doesn’t want us living in a state filled with dread, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed.

Turn every burden into a proclamation of faith when you pray about it, trusting in His power and desire to help. What will follow is a holy confidence (humble-dependant on Him) and a divine enthusiastic anticipation of how He will move in your life…. as you acknowledge not only your dependence on Him, but His ability to do more than we can imagine.
...one of David's proclamations of faith:

Psalm 27:1 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 evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. 4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. 7 Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" 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 helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. 13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 36:5-10

Psalm 36:5-10 (New International Version)
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.


Psalm 36:5-10 (The Message)
God's love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.
How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings,
To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.
You're a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light.
Keep on loving your friends; do your work in welcoming hearts.

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I was reading this Psalm today and thought it might be a good one to post... then when I did, I didn't want to choose between these to versions.... so you can take in both of them :)

His love is faithful, priceless, as vast as the heavens... meteoric, exquisite, astronomically loyal, a fountain of light.... which is so much larger than we can wrap our heads around.... yet how amazing that nothing is small enough to get lost and escape His notice by slipping through the cracks! There is no one like Him!

May we all be filled to overflowing in His love today, may we see His light, and welcome His work in our hearts :)
blessings all~

Psalm 84

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah 9 Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. 10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 12 O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

a Person after God’s Heart

There is a statement made about David that was never made about anyone else in the Bible. In Acts 13:22 -I have found in David to be a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.
What made this true of David – how can we cultivate this into our lives, so He can accomplish what He wants in our lives for His glory?

3 ASPECTS OF BEING A PERSON AFTER GOD’S HEART:
1. David was a man who had a Sensitive Heart
a. He was sensitive to the things God was concerned about
- When God let Saul know that He was choosing David, what it is that was the issue to God? By what did He compare David and Saul? Saul was not obedient.
I Sam 13:14 -But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.
We have to say Lord, what is important to You is important to me. The written Word of God, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, when God speaks to you, if you know its from Him – saying yes, I’ll do these things You've revealed to me to the best of my ability. What You ask I’ll do.

b. He was also sensitive to the character of God – Who God is.
In Psalm 24:1-2 David illustrates that he knows everything belongs to God. I Chronicles 29:10-12 David says all is Yours in the heavens and earth…..You are exalted above all, all things come from You…. David understood that everything created and all he had belonged to God.
Ps 51:1-2 – David also understood about the character of God... that He was a forgiving God. David wasn’t perfect but he understood the merciful heart of God and wanted to manifest that quality of mercy in his own life and show mercy to others. II Sam 9:1

c. David’s heart was also sensitive to the voice of God
over and over again in scripture you see David being humble enough to seek God for direction on everything. I Samuel 23:2 ; v9-12. Before he makes a move, he asks God about it. I Samuel 30:8 - He always wants God’s direction in his life. I don’t want to make a decision without Your leading and blessing upon it.
II Sam 2:1 David inquired of the Lord – I don’t want to go anywhere You don’t want me to go or do anything that You don’t want me to do….
This is a sensitive heart which is pleasing to God and which He honors.

2. David had a Servant’s Heart
I Sam 16:11 – he was willing to serve with humility.
16:7 – the Lord looks at the heart, not as man looks (outward appearance, experience, worldly position). People around you may be overlooking you but God sees your heart. You can be sure of that! When the time is right He can set His hand on that situation in your life and bring blessing where you thought you were being overlooked.
16:22-23 David is serving in Saul’s court, however he can.
17:17-18 – here is David, not fighting, he is serving; that is where leadership is forged from. This serving may not have been the most exciting thing he could have done; he may have wanted to do more exciting things and felt he had more ability, but he did what he was asked to do. Be faithful to do what the Lord puts in front of you to do; He notices where you are serving.
Ps 89:20 God was looking for someone who would serve and God anointed David. Had David refused to water the sheep, he would not have gotten the training he needed…to kill lions and bears and eventually the confidence to know that with God’s help, he could kill Goliath. If you do the little things well, it can open the doors for bigger things…. It may not be what you expected, maybe you expected and wanted God to use you in a bigger way, in a larger role, but being a faithful servant in that thing can open the doors to be used of God. If we have a heart to serve God, He will open the doors in due time. What ever you can find to do to serve in a place, fill a need, be faithful and watch what God does.

3. David had a Sincere Heart
In Greek the work sincere means ‘without wax’. The origin is from pottery makers, those who were not reputable would try to disguise and fill cracks with wax to sell the pot, but the buyer would soon discover the uselessness of the cracked pot. Those pottery makers who were known to sell only quality merchandise, where known to sell pots ‘without wax’ – sincere. A trustworthy pot is sincere; being a person of integrity; being honest. You leave people with the impression you are honest, are you really honest when no one is looking? (example- If someone gives you too much change, do you bring it to their attention and give it back?)
Psalm 78:70-72. 70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; 71 from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. 72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
God chose David because he had a sincere heart of integrity. Some of the great leaders in the Bible were shepherds. Lessons learned in times of serving in anonymity prepared them for the future God had in store for them; prepared them for the things He had for them to do.

Are you faithful in the details when no one is looking? Are you committed to saying I’m going to follow what God wants me to do, even when no one else sees it?

Psalm 15:1-4 V.4 – do you keep your commitments even when it hurts and it does not turn out to be what you thought you were signing up for? Someone who has an honest heart.... If I’ve given my word in a situation, even when it hurts and it does not turn out to be like I expected it would be, do I stay true to what I promised I would do?

In Psalm 139 David said 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Even when we think our heart is right with God, it is always good to remember to do this from time to time. Sometimes we don’t even know our own heart and we need to ask the Lord to search our heart, to touch our heart and reveal to us things He would like us to work on in our growth with Him. Pr 4:23 – Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Deal with hidden anger and bitterness you may have in your heart.

God isn’t looking for perfect people, but for Sensitive people, who want to Serve God, who have Sincere hearts...
Ask God to give you a heart to hear Him when He speaks. When Solomon asked God for wisdom, in the literal Hebrew – it meant' a heart to hear from God'.
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(from one of my pastor's recent sermons)


Lord, help us to be people after Your heart~

Matthew & Psalms...

a few verses I wanted to share from today's portion of the one year Bible:

Matt 22:37-39
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Matthew 23:11-12
The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Psalm 27:7-8
Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Psalm 27:13-14
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

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be blessed :)