Waiting on the Lord: Drawing strength from 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 the wicked advance against me
to devour^[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on 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 sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, 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,
God my Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, 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,
spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain 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.

Israel, since before even David was King, since before her judges, to even a time of Moses and Joshua has seen her share of war. Even the scriptures promise in the Word that God blesses those who bless her. In fact in these end times Israel must be interceded for and even the Lord's precepts and statutes require us to pray for Israel. As a simple reminder, when one waits on the Lord, when one lays aside his or her own desires and draws nigh to the Lord, then the Lord as in James draws nigh to us. Psalm 91 in the Bible says the Lord loves those who love Him. By taking on the priorities of God (according Matthew 6:33) and resting in Him, walking in His statutes, and standing on His promises we live.

Our prayer for Israel: Dear Lord, awaken the heart of Your people to pray for Iarael. We call the Peace of Christ to fall. We remind You Your Word says in Joel that You will pour out Your Spirit on ALL flesh. Pour out Your Spirit on those ready in Israel!

The Lord always had compassion on orphans. Even in this verse of David (verse10) he speaks of the Lord taking him up after being forsaken by his father and mother. Much of David's life in Psalms speaks of strife and fighting. It speaks of family violence. David's heart was always to the Lord. David's walk was always after God's Heart. His very motives seemed to weave around God's statutes and precepts.

But David's life was with much rejection, abandonment, lies, betrayal. To have called God his father speaks of a deeper intimacy than the scriptures can give our imagination. Psalm 131 allows us to see a David weaned and almost in fetal position of the Father's scriptural womb.

Psalm 22 opens our eyes to a messianic death hundreds of years before Jesus. To think of David as dreaming this, or living it out, only this King of Israel can hold that knowledge.

David's family line showed little promise to the walk he and Solomon held. Beside Solomon, none of his sons contributed to the writing of scripture. Many of his children seemed without guidance. Almost fatherless.

Only Solomon recalled his father's teaching.

A fatherless child suffers much of life growing blind. Even a fathered child can grow into a world shaped by his or her own parents misguidance. Jesus mentioned only the Father was good as He said that even our fathers being evil know how to give good gifts to their children.

Psalm 27 verse 1

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?

David the King and psalmist of Psalm 27 often spoke of the Lord as his Light and his Salvation. He spoke of the Lord as his stronghold. David was fearless in battle, often times consulting the Lord before his exploits. His exploits were so numeral that it was through the Lord's counsel that because of the amount of bloodshed, David could not build the tabernacle he desired to for Him. In battles with the enemy, David pressed into God, relying, clinging to and adhering the Lord.

In the night seasons of our lives we need that Living God, that Light that helps us focus, helps us walk amidst danger. He is our Salvation, a very present help in times of need, according to Psalm 91.

David often provided a clear example of going into the Lord as his stronghold. The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, and the righteous run in and find shelter.

Psalm 27 Verses 8-9

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, 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,
God my Savior.

Seeking God can be a fulfilling courtship. The Lord never meant just for Solomon the writer of Song of songs to have all the fun. David often quieted himself to find God, to listen to His Voice. And though the times were simpler, how much more a reason to rest in Him while the cares of the world knock on one's door daily. He cried out. He reasoned within himself. He made God the sole reason for his life. And he learned this early in life and kept to it. Other kings, in their later years fell short, abandoned, forgot, or grew deaf. They absorbed this world, they strayed. And they paid dearly. Not just on them but those they were held accountable for.

Prayer: May the Lord enjoy you! And may He seek you, and lose you, and find you and lose you again only to find you again! Seek ye first, the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you!