I am grateful for Psalm 27.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?Psalm 27:1
I’ve been memorizing it since February 2007.
Because it always helps me.
Wherever I am. Whatever the situation.
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
Psalm 27:3
Psalm 27:4
(1) Its shock value
If you’re in the middle of a storm, what do you pray for? Rescue? Relief? Me, too.
But what one thing did David ask in Psalm 27? Not for vengeance or protection or justice. But to “gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.”
(2) Its regularity
Life is full of ups and downs. David’s was, too. It’s reflected in this psalm, seesawing between intense praise and troubles; flashes of insight and flashes of confusion; appeals to act and appeals to wait.
As Tripp says, “All of the fingers of this psalm point to Christ. Jesus came to earth, knowing the trouble he would face, but he was not afraid; he knew his Father would be his light and salvation. Jesus knew that his enemies would stumble and fall.”
(4) Its call to patient hope
It doesn’t promise that we’ll have no trouble. It doesn’t say live self-protectively to keep trouble away. It does say that “I believe I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” And “Wait for the LORD.” It gives us reason to hope because God’s faithfulness is sure.
Psalm 27:7
Tripp includes chapters of either poetry or prose. A single verse from Psalm 27 is highlighted in each chapter, in no particular order.
He concludes each chapter with two probing questions, such as “Be honest as you examine the way you live. What do you look to as your ‘solid rock’ (Psalm 27:5)? How would your living be different if Christ really were your ‘solid rock’?”
Whatever you need, Psalm 27 can help.
Because the Lord is in it. Seek him there.
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Psalm 27:14
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13 comments:
dear lisa,
what a TREASURE your blog is! i cannot
tell you how my heart leaped at each word.
how in the world can i grab your sweet
button? i LOVE it so much.
blessings,
lea
Psalm 27 is my favorite.
Lea,
Thanks for the sweet words. Yes, you are welcome to the button. Go to:
http://lisanotes.blogspot.com/2010/10/30-days-of-thanksgiving-anyone.html
Right-click on the picture and "save image as".
Or I can e-mail it to you if you'd rather.
Liz,
Yes, isn't Psalm 27 so wonderful?
I enjoyed reading through these meditations and the different applications. Psalm 27:4 has been a favorite verse for a long time.
Lisa,
I really enjoy reading Tripp. Thanks for this recommendation and for sharing bits from the book. Psalm 27 is such an encouragement. Our children memorize chapters of Scripture at a time, but I haven't had them learn this one, yet. Will be adding it to the many on our list. We were discussing just yesterday the power of having Scripture in our minds and on our hearts.
Barbara,
There is definitely an unusual richness in Psalm 27:4...
Trisha,
So far, I've really liked every Tripp book that I've read. That's great that you have your children memorizing chapters. Sometimes I think it's easier to learn a chapter than random verses here and there.
Great post. I think I need to add this book to my list!
Melissa,
I think you would like it. It has 52 short chapters, so theoretically you could use it for a whole year. I just bought a second copy to mail to a friend who is going through a "time of storm." I pray she will benefit from it as much as I did.
This Psalm is one I've been reading repeatedly in recent days, and it's always been a favorite.
Thanks for making the button for Rebecca and sharing it with the rest of us. Got it on my post today!
I love Psalm 27! So much so that Psalm 27:1 has been a part of my email address for years! :) Thanks for the mention of the book, I will have to check it out as I had not heard of it! Thanks for sharing, I love this post!!
Amazing! I just wrote portions from this psalm on a poster for my students today. Then I saw it on your blog, and so needed the reminder... Thank you!
Oh, this post is rich. So good ...
I want to pray for the gaze, rather than just relief. I'm still praying for relief, more often than not. :-)
Thank you for this ...
Tripp is one of my favorite authors. Excellent post!
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