From Feeling Stressed to Peace & Confidence (Psalm 27)

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Goal

To examine the process David went through
so that we can learn how to go from feeling stressed to peace and confidence.

Because all of us sometimes feel stressed,
lose heart, feel alone or vulnerable.

This will be our outline—we’ll go through each part
Each part is almost exactly the same length and ends with a statement of confidence

There’s a lot of poetic imagery in this Psalm.
- The point of poetry is not just to communicate facts, but to convey the feelings, the emotions
- This is done by using metaphor, picture language, where images are evoked.
We have two main sets of images in this Psalm and I’m going to try to connect us with both
1. Physical Danger, e.g. from wild animals
2. Safety from a strong, wise person who loves and cares about us
I said earlier that almost all of us sometimes lack confidence.
- What do we call the kind of person who never, ever lacks confidence? (stupid?)
We’re going to see such a person in this video
- But the main thing I want you to connect with is this:
- The image in v.2 of this Psalm (read in a mo) is being attacked by wild animals
- I want you to connect with how you would feel if it was you in this video:
Watch YouTube video of the Lions
- Imagine if these guys were not friendly—how would you feel?
- That’s how David was feeling in Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my deliverance!
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the fortress of my life!
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men stalk me
to devour my flesh,
when my adversaries and enemies attack me,
they stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
My heart will not fear.
Though war is rising against me,
Even then I will be confident.

One thing I have asked of the LORD—
this is what I seek after!
That I may live in the LORD’s house
all the days of my life,
So I can gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and focus on him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he’ll hide me in his own shelter
He’ll conceal me under the cover of his tent;
He’ll lift me up onto a high rock.
Then I will triumph over my enemies who surround me!
I’ll offer sacrifices in his dwelling place with shouts of joy!
I’ll sing and make music to the LORD!

One thing I have asked of the LORD—
this is what I seek after!
That I may live in the LORD’s house
all the days of my life,
So I can gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and focus on him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he’ll hide me in his own shelter
He’ll conceal me under the cover of his tent;
He’ll lift me up onto a high rock.
Then I will triumph over my enemies who surround me!
I’ll offer sacrifices in his dwelling place with shouts of joy!
I’ll sing and make music to the LORD!

Hear me, O LORD, when I cry aloud!
Be gracious to me and answer me!
My heart tells me to seek your face,
and I do seek your face, O LORD.
Do not hide your face from me!
Do not push your servant away in anger!
You have been my help!
Do not forsake me or abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
Even if my father and mother abandoned me,
the LORD would take me in.

He begins to pray earnestly to God.
- Sometimes it seems like God is not listening (v9a)
  - Do you ever feel like that?
- But David knew that in the past, even when it felt that God was not listening, he was and came through.
So the second video I’m going to show is about this imagery of the importance of facial connection
- v.8 face: intimacy, mother/child attachment.
- We have always known this, especially mothers, but this is a very clear example of what David is talking about
Watch YouTube video of baby reacting to the mother’s face
What is the answer to v.9?
- He ends on an incredible note of confidence
- Did God ever abandon him? —no!
There are other places where David uses this same imagery
- Did David have bad parent experiences?
- We’re not explicitly told, but the implications of what we read are that his parents thought very little of him...

For you give me confidence, O Lord;
O LORD, I have trusted in you since I was young.
I have leaned on you since birth;
you pulled me from my mother’s womb.
I praise you continually.

Do not reject me in my old age!
When my strength fails, do not abandon me!
For my enemies talk about me;
those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise.
They say, “God has abandoned him.
Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”
O God, do not remain far away from me!
My God, hurry and help me!

O God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I am still declaring your amazing deeds.
Even when I am old and gray,
O God, do not abandon me,
until I tell the next generation about your strength,

Certainly you made my mind and heart;
you wove me together in my mother’s womb.
I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.
You knew me thoroughly;
my bones were not hidden from you,
when I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.
How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God!
How vast is their sum total!

Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast?
Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne?
Even if mothers were to forget,
I could never forget you!
Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms;
your walls are constantly before me.

Teach me your way of living, O LORD;
lead me along a straight path
because of those who wait to ambush me!
Do not turn me over to my enemies,
for false witnesses who want to destroy me
lie against me.
Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience
the LORD’s favor in the land of the living?
Rely on the LORD!
Be strong and let your heart be confident!
Rely on the LORD!