Wait on the Lord

Sermon notes from Sunday 7 January 2018

Psalm 27

As we enter into 2018 another year lies before us and in so doing on this the first Sunday of the New Year we turn to our motton text in verse 14.  From the Psalmist`s pen today we receive a challenge as to what way this year will go.  The Psalmist says we are to wait on the Lord.  It is a challenge but also a commission.  To get our eyes on the Lord.  It is also a command coming from God`s word too.  To wait on the Lord.  It is also a great comfort also.  Where could you or I go for leadership in 2018 if not from the Lord?  Stepping out into a new year gives us tremendous advice.  It says here to wait.  If it only told us to wait there wouldn`t be much good to us.  The Psalmist clarifies it here - wait - by including the words - on the Lord.  Take a moment or 2 just to come to the one who you are going to wait on.  That is important today.  In this 2018 the great danger is we might miss out on him.  We do not want to lose sight of him as the creator, the sustainer who opens his hand and every living thing comes into being.  He is the same God as always.  Start this year by looking to the one we are to wait on.

He dispels our fears.  Look to him the Psalmist says in verse 1 - "the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear, the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid?"  He is my light, my salvation.  The pronouns keep coming on - I, my, me.  He is speaking of himself.  That is the confidence he has today.  The Psalmist does with so much confidence.  He doesn`t say he has a second hand faith but I have a faith that is mine.  In Psalm 23 he said "the Lord is my shepherd" and now he is saying "he is my light and my salvation."  I have proved God and this is how you can prove God today.  He is the one who dispels every fear you might have if you will bring it to him.  Look at Rehoboam, Solomon`s son.  When Solomon died he had to step into the shoes of the wisest man who ever sat on the throne.  He knew he needed advice and so went in the wrong direction for that advice.  It is possible that that problem or fear going through your mind, it is possible that you will take it to the wrong place for advice.  Rehoboam went to the old men of the kingdom and asked what he should do.  The old men said `we had the greatest respect for your father but we found he went wrong in various places, he laid heavy burdens on the children, if you were to lift the hand of chastisement now it would be good.`  Then he went to the people who he grew up with. They told him to double the taxes, increasing their burden and Rehoboam took their advice much to his shame.  There is no where we read of where he went to the Lord for advice.  He doesn`t go to the Lord for advice.  It is possible for us to go to the wrong place for advice.  In Isaiah 6 the prophet is going into the temple, into the house of God.  He heart is sorrowful and heavy  - why - because Uzziah his friend has died.  As he walked into the house of God he felt something that he never felt the same again.  The first look he took was upwards.  He saw the Lord and high lifted up.  He saw the glory of the Lord in that place.  As we go into the house of God are we looking to him?  Is there a problem so difficult as we go into 2018?  Many problems will arise in our families, in this fellowship, hurts in your life.  The thing is what will we do with them?  Will we look onto the one who dispels our fears?  If we look down there will be many problems or difficulties.  The Psalmist tells us we are to look to the one who dispels our fears.  Look to the author and finisher of our faith.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  David approaching Ziglag could see the smoke going up into the sky.  The enemy had come and raided everything.  Not a child played in the street.  All were carried away prisoner.  I am sure it was as if someone had plunged their hand into his bosom and ripped out his heart.  Those men wept until they could weep no more.  David`s own men then turned against him.  Maybe in the past year you have felt that same grievance in your heart.  It has hurt.  Get your eyes on the Lord.  David looked at Ziglag and then to his men, then he looked to the Lord "Lord shall we pursue here?"  The Lord said "yes because you will gain so much." Is that the cry of your heart today?  You feel as if you cannot go on another day.  You want to turn back, to give up, to throw in the towel but the Lord tells us to keep on going for the mark for the high calling of God.  God dispels our fears as he did for Gideon.  He was threshing a few sheaves of grain when the Lord spoke to him.  Jeremiah was afraid but God told him "be not afraid of their faces for I am with you."  Are we looking down or looking up today?  Taking in all the discouragemens or looking to the Lord of heaven.

Let`s look to the one who destroys our foes - verse 2.  Isaiah chapter 54 verse 17.  How many times have we seen nations rising up against Israel but God has not allowed them to succeed?  David is no stranger to anxiety, to care and concern of his own.  He knew all about overcoming.  Verse 13 "had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  He is not afraid to testify to it.  I would have almost fainted.  God will not fail me.  David tells us how he listened to his deceiving and deceptive heart.  Your heart will lead you down but God will not.  If we could get ourselves to the place David is pointing us to today what a wonderful place that would be.  We need to do one thing - get our eyes on the Lord today.  He is the one who destroys our foes.  Psalm 73 verse 2.  How close have we come to throwing in the towel?  We can put our brave face on but really underneath it we are suffering.  The Lord will not let us down.  David was going through dark places in his life, his enemies have risen against him, it was a hurtful time for him.  Verse 12.  I was in a position where I felt God had even forsaken him.  The year we are looking into we know nothing about it.  For false witnesses are risen up against me.  People saying all manner of awful things against him.  Was there a fear in his heart?  That even the Lord would desert him because of that but I never fainted.  I begn to think of the goodness of the Lord.  The Lord is good and gracious.  Every good and perfect gift comes from him.  Every living thing comes from God today.  Asaph said "my feet were almost gone until I went into the temple and saw the end of the wicked lies."  Get a clear picture of the God we adore and let us wait on him.  God will not let you down.  When I sat on the hillside and the lion came against me the Lord delivered me.  When the bear came to take a lamb the Lord delivered me.  He will deliver you too.

Wait on the one who defends his friends.  Psalm 91 "he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty."  The Psalmist thought of the barren land, the sun beat down but the shadow was beautiful.  He covereth us with his feathers - Psalm 34 verse 7. "The angels of the Lord encampeth around about them that fear him and delivereth them."  We may well ask `where is your angel today Lord?`  The answer comes back `I have set him to overshadow your path.`  The Lord is before you.  David knew when the bear and the lion came he was no match.  Hezekiah cowered behind the gates of Jerusalem.  He saw the enemy take every city and they were now at his gate.  The Lord sent his angel to watch over him.  Peter lying in the prison cell - what did God do?  He sent an angel to deliver him right from the enemy.  We do not know what a year will bring.  Maybe hospital visits, news that will break your heart.  The Lord defends his friends.  

We are to look to the one who delights in our fellowship verse 4.  David is looking to the presence of God.  "Where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name there am I in the midst."  Isn`t is amazing thing that if only 2 or 3 of us gathered today that the Lord will still come down and presence himself with us?  There are some speakers today who will only come and speak to hundreds.  The Lord is not looking to numbers but to you and I.  If it is good enough for the Lord it is good enough for us?  Where am I looking to today?  David wants to direct our focus today unto the almighty God.  What is the exercise we have to do - wait not blindly but upon the Lord.  As we go into 2018 as a family and a fellowship focus for the work of God lets not forget about the God of heaven.  Look up and see his face.