Wait on the Lord

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES – SUNDAY 1 OCTOBER 2023

PSALM 27

 

Like David we often find ourselves in difficult situations but we also find ourselves in joy because we know God is able to speak in difficult situations.  We see this song titled ‘David sustains his faith by the power of God.’  We know it is David who penned this psalm.  When we have no words to express how we are feeling – in difficult and terrible times, when we are out of sorts we turn to a psalm for comfort and encouragement.  They are easy to read and understand.  Turning to a psalm means we are able to relate to it.  We see the exact problem we are experiencing and the answer we need to hear.  Often we go to speak to people who are going through difficult times, maybe they are feeling alone, dejected or maybe a loved one has passed away.  We have nothing to say to them, our words are going to seem hollow and insincere, in those times it is always good to read a psalm.  When words run out it is good to turn to the psalms.  Think of some of the promises from the psalms:

 

Psalm 23 “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me.” 

 

Psalm 30 verse 2 “O Lord my God, I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me.”

 

Psalm 34 verse 18 “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth them out of all their troubles.” 

 

Psalm 55 verse 22 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

 

Psalm 103 verse 12 “As far as the east is from the west so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

 

We could go around and ask everyone here what is their favourite psalm and I am sure there would be many different ones.  This particular psalm is one that I have had great encouragement and deep assurance from. 

 

There are many verses in this psalm we could look at.  For instance verse 5 “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” 

 

We see here the believer’s trouble – we know trouble will come, not one of us will go through life without trouble. 

We can see the believer’s safety – in his pavilion. 

We see the believer’s secret place – the tabernacle. 

We see the believer’s security – he shall set me up upon a rock.  We know Christ is our rock, our hope.  We are reminded of the hymn

 

“My hope is built on nothing less that Jesus’ blood and righteousness. 

On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

 

Verse 14 has been the one verse that came to my mind – “wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

 

No matter what our circumstance we can wait on the Lord.  That is where our confidence is found.  There are 2 great themes running through this psalm – confidence and seek.  When we look at the psalm as a whole we can see so much repetition.

 

Verses 1 – 3 speak of confidence

Verses 4 – 6 speak of seeking

Verses 7 – 12 speak of seeking

Verses 13 and 14 speak of confidence

 

David’s confidence is found because he is seeking the Lord.  We know David wrote many psalms, a few are attributed to others but most were written by David.  This psalm was perhaps written later on in David’s life.  He was reflecting back on his life and realised that God had been with him every step of the way.  It is only when we come through a storm or trial that we can realise God is there.  Sometimes we don’t realise the Lord is actually there.  It is like the Footprints poem – when those times we see only one set of footprints in the sand it is then that the Lord is carrying us.  David as a boy had shepherded the flock.  Many animals came against him but God helped him.  As he faced the giant Goliath God gave him the strength to stand up to him.  Look at verse 3 “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me in this will I be confident.”  What a position to be in.  When he was pursued in the desert and wilderness, in the times he found it difficult and maybe God was afar off.  Verse 9 “Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger; thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.”  There had been times in David’s life when God could not be found and David didn’t want that to happen again.  Then there were times when he couldn’t get to the Lord’s house – verse 4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple.”  David also found God’s help in times of trouble – verse 5 “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”  David even experienced times when his family was afar off - verse 10 “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”  There were also times when he was subject to slander “Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.  Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies; for false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breathe out cruelty.”  These are all the things David had to go against him.  I am sure you can relate to some of these.  We could compare his list to Paul’s – shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, hungered but then he says in 2 Corinthians 4 verse 17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”  Imagine all the things Paul went through are called “light affliction”.  Sometimes our struggles are hard to go through.  All of this is summarised in verse 14.  We are all not so different – we experience anxiety, worry, the attacks of the devil are many.  There is danger on every side and we can become faint instead of enjoying the benefits of the Lord.  In verse 14 there is a great emphasis on waiting.  It is mentioned twice.  We are not to trust in anyone or anything but rather we are to wait on the Lord.

 

There are 3 things to notice here:

 

First a call to wait on God.  When we hear the word “wait” we think of passive activity, something that is not actually happening.  The literal translation is to sit back and wait, to see what the Lord is going to do but the word is actually an active word.  We are to be doing something while we are waiting.  We are confidently, patiently waiting on the Lord throughout this psalm.  This psalm gives evidence of actually waiting, trusting.  Isaiah 40 verse 31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”  Waiting on the Lord results in strength for the Christian to run.  How can we wait actively on the Lord?  By trusting in him – verses 1 and 2 “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? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”  Not passive waiting but active trusting.  Notice the word “is”.  This kind of trust dispels all fear.  When a person is actively trusting the Lord the result is confidence – verse 3 “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”  He longs to be in God’s presence, in communion with him.  He wants to be found in God’s house, worshipping God – verse 4.  How can we actively wait?  Through prayer.  Psalm 86 verses 1 – 7

 

“Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy.  Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.  Be merciful unto me O Lord, for I cry unto thee daily.  Rejoice the soul of thy servant; for unto thee, O Lord do I lift up my soul.  For thou Lord, art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O Lord unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.  In the day of my trouble, I will call upon thee; for thou wilt answer me.”

 

David prays daily.  Daivd is well versed in prayer.  He is eager to always be praying and gaining wisdom from the Lord.  It is also seen through the reading of God’s word – verse 11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly.”  When we search for the Lord we will find him by praying and reading his word.  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”  Waiting on the Lord is a positive activity.  It involves a confident expectation of a positive response – to keep pursuing after the things of the Lord.  Those who wait on the Lord cannot be discouraged.  Waiting on the Lord by trusting him, seeking him praying and studying his word.

 

Secondly, there is a courage to be gained.  If we make an effort to wait on the Lord we will gain courage.  Then we can face the things that come on us with no fear.  Calmness and boldness in the strength of the Lord.  That kind of unmisteable trust is only possible for those who know the Lord.  David acknowledges the Lord is “my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?”  David’s courage comes from trusting in the Lord.  Do you have that courage, that boldness because you are seeking and waiting on him?  Joshua 1 verse 9 “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”  We are secure in God.  Romans 8 verses 38 and 39.  We have a call to wait on God and a courage to be gained.

 

Thirdly, a calm in our hearts.  “and he shall strengthen thine heart.”  Time and time again in scripture waiting on God results in confident results.  “I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord.”  People will see the strength in our heart because of the confident trust we have in the Lord.  Our hearts are the battle ground for the Christian.  The world is trying to steal our children with all the nonsense of the day.  Down in our hearts God is battling for first place.  If we relegate him to second and third place then we are in trouble.  If we are to have the confidence David had to get through trials we need to wait on the Lord.  This confidence can only be realised by the Christian.  If you are not saved today I pray that you will come and trust in the Saviour.  He is waiting to save you if you will only trust him.