One Thing…
Psalm 27
May 26, 2024
I have read that in Deadwood, SD there is a sign in a museum that had been left by a beleaguered prospector in the area: “I lost my gun. I lost my horse. I am out of food. The Indians are after me. But I’ve got all the gold I can carry.” Hmmm. It seems he forgot something essential. But he’s not the only one to forget. One management theorist warned that too often we are efficient about the wrong things:
“The curious thing is the righter you do the wrong thing the wronger you become. If you’re doing the wrong thing and you make a mistake and correct it you become wronger. So it’s better to do the right thing wrong than the wrong thing right. Almost every major social problem that confronts us today is a consequence of trying to do the wrong things righter.” [Russell Ackoff, quoted in Redeeming Productivity, 114.]
When we have troubles and distress, it is easy to forget the things that are a priority — the things that are essential and cannot be forgotten. What is essential so we can live steadfastly in this troubled world?
Psalm 27 provides an answer. This Psalm was apparently penned by David, and while we are not sure of the circumstances of the writing, the Greek translation of the Old Testament includes the words “before he was anointed” in the superscript. And while those words aren’t part of the original text of the psalm, they suggest that perhaps this was written at a time when he was not yet installed as king of Israel and Saul was chasing and persecuting him (that scenario fits with vv. 2-3a). Regardless of the exact circumstances, David clearly is suffering difficulty. And at the same, he is confident in God. In fact, this psalm is difficult to categorize — it has elements of both individual lament (his grief over suffering), and individual trust. Both are strongly present in this song. The lesson we learn from David is:
In your trouble, seek fellowship with God as your safety.
Trouble does not preclude God’s power; God never fails or forsakes His people. So here are four responses to trouble in our lives (and four reasons to trust God):
- A Confidence for Troubled Hearts: God is Strong (vv. 1-3)
- A Quest for Troubled Hearts: Seek God (vv. 4-6)
- A Prayer for Troubled Hearts: “Teach Me, God” (vv. 7-12)
- A Commitment for Troubled Hearts: Wait for God (vv. 13-14)
Download the rest of this sermon on Psalm 27.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website by Tuesday.
Jon Tyson jontyson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Words of Grace 
