This Week's Scripture & Reflection: Psalm 27:1-6
When we find ourselves in the midst of danger or trouble, our hearts and minds can easily become plagued with fear! It can cause us to lose our sense of peace, hope, and direction. How many of us have been so consumed with fear before that instead of waiting on our Heavenly Father before making a decision, we moved on without Him? We can either live in fear of the unknown or live by faith in the One who knows everything! By choosing the latter, we acknowledge that regardless of what the situation looks like, our Heavenly Father is in complete control and working on the behalf of His children!
The author of this Psalm is none other David, who exemplified living and walking by faith in the midst of his many trials! One of the most prominent character traits that David exuded above all was confidence, which usually refers to a person's belief in themselves; their abilities, intellect, self-esteem, etc. In contrast, however, David's confidence demonstrated that he believed not so much in himself, but rather in the Lord! He possessed Godly confidence! Establishing the Lord as the internal source of his confidence translated into an external boldness that quite possibly caused some to mistakingly believe that David was full of himself!
To exude Godly confidence, it must be cultivated! The purpose of cultivation is to encourage development, similar to a farmer who cultivates, or fosters his land through plowing, stirring, and fertilizing the soil. In similar fashion, there are three (3) basic principles from this Psalm that will stir you to cultivate Godly confidence in order to produce spiritual growth in your relationship with the Lord!
Place total confidence in the Lord. Our appearance, intellect, skills, talents; none of these things can be the foundation of our inner confidence. If we're not careful, we can begin to idolize our own attributes! Our confidence can also fluctuate, especially when we feel that these attributes are being challenged in some way, which suggests that these attributes lack the power to sustain personal confidence. Instead, we need to place our complete, total confidence in the Lord because unlike our fluctuating emotions and self-perceptions, He remains consistent (cf. Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8). We find security and stability in who we are in Him through His changeless nature!
Therefore, we can walk this life fearlessly! In this Psalm, David asks rhetorically, "Whom shall I fear?" and "Whom shall I dread?" When someone asks a rhetorical question, they're not looking for an answer; they're trying to emphasize a point! In Romans 8:31, the apostle Paul also poses a rhetorical question: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Paul is emphasizing that no one can stand against the saints of God because God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, is for them! Likewise, David is emphasizing that he is not going to fear or dread anyone because the Lord is his light, salvation, and the defense of his life!
Seek intimate fellowship with the Lord. In order to place our total confidence in the Lord, we must have a personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ! Following this, we must commit to spending time with Him through prayer, worship, and devotion! The one thing that David asked from the Lord, that he would seek after, was to dwell in the presence of the Lord all of his life ("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..."). David desired to behold God's beauty; His splendor, grace, and delightfulness, as well as meditate in His temple, or to reflect upon His goodness!
In this one verse, David communicates his single, all-consuming desire to draw closer to the Lord, which demonstrates that we do not have to wait until we get to Heaven to experience the presence of God. After trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit permanently in-dwelt every believer. When we commit to abiding in the Lord through His Spirit, dwelling and basking in His presence translates into a daily reality! Likewise, the Lord desires to meet with us daily and intimately, not just so that we can be empowered, but also so that we can grow in our love, knowledge, and understanding of Him!
Be assured of our security in the Lord. David was by no means a perfect man, husband, or father, but he always knew who to run to when he was in trouble. There is no trace of ambiguity or doubt in his words in this Psalm! In the day of trouble, David boldly declares that the Lord will conceal him in His tabernacle, that He will hide him in the secret place of His tent, and that the Lord will lift him up on a rock. David knew that the Lord wasn't going to always keep him from pain and heartache, but he was assured that the Lord was never going to leave him, but rather keep him in the midst of trouble!
Consider an alarm system: its purpose is to shield a home and the people living inside of it from invasion. We tend to rest easier knowing that the alarm is on; it provides us with a "sense" of security. While alarm systems are very useful, they can also malfunction like any other man-made machine. They also cannot physically protect or shield us from danger. As believers, our trust is in the Lord, not man-made inventions! He neither slumber nor sleeps; He continues to watch over us and protect us from dangers seen and unseen! Ultimately, we possess eternal life through Jesus Christ; if anything were to happen that caused us to lose our physical lives, we would immediately enter into the presence of the Lord and remain with Him forever (cf. II Corinthians 5:6-8). Jesus' death on the cross and glorious resurrection assures us that we are eternally secure in Him!
What and in whom are you placing your total confidence in? Who are you spending your most intimate time with? Who are you running to for security? If your desire is to cultivate Godly confidence, you will do what is necessary to position God as your top priority and center your life around Him!