INTRODUCTION
Life is hard now but it has never bean easy. Perhaps, life in earlier days was different but definitely not without difficulty.
Comfort is a state of being relaxed. A feeling of freedom from worry, anxiety or disappointment.
David also faced fearful and turbulent times in different phases of his life:
▪As a Shepherd boy, he faced wild animals in the bush.
▪He became populer after killing the giant who was terrifying the people, king and the army of Israel (1Sam.17).
▪Saul became jealous of him and he had to run for his dear life (1Sam.18)
▪As king, he fought many battles, mostly against the Philistines.
▪His daughter, Tamar, was raped by his son, Amnnon (2Sam. 13).
▪He had a son with another man’s wife and killed her husband (2Sam. 11).
▪His son, Absalom, tried to take away his throne (2Sam. 15).
In Psalm 27:1-6, David presents 3 principles that enabled him to handle difficult times in his life and secure comfort for himself:
1. Our relationship with God (which is the foundatian)
2. Our confidence in God
3. Our worship of God.
God is eternal and the principles of His Word are also eternal.
David mentioned “Tabernacle” and “Temple”
Both are equivalent to our church today. They were the Sanctuary where God resided among His people.
Today, God now lives in us as the Holy Spirit.
DAVID’S DESIRE (Ps. 27:4a)
To dwell in the house of the Lord.
▪Being in God’s presence.
▪Not only his desire but his priority (Matt. 6:33).
▪To be where God is.
▪To be in constant and continuous fellowship with God (intimacy).
To secure divine comfort in this difficult time, you must have desire, hunger and thirst for being with God and at a place where God is worshipped (Heb. 10:25; Ps.122:1).
REASONS BEHIND DAVID’S DESIRE (Ps. 27:4b)
1.To Behold The Beauty of The Lord.
▪God does not have physical form or physical beauty because He’s a Spirit (Jn.4:24).
▪It means to seek God’s face.
▪To admire God’s beauty is to be attracted to God.
▪God’s beauty doesn’t fade. With Him there are no imperfections.
▪God’s beauty speaks of the perfection of His love, power, mercy, favor, kindness, grace, goodness and glory.
▪The harmony of all His attributes is the beauty of His nature.
▪His beauty attracts us to love Him and through faith, we are led to worship Him (Jn. 4:24).
2. To Enquire in His Temple (Ps. 27:4b).
▪To meditate in His word, be in constant communion with Him (Speaking to Him and hearing from Him), to recieve revelations and instructions from Him (Lk. 10:39,42).
▪To secure divine comfort in these difficult times, you must be ready to be attracted to seeking God’s face and engaging in constant communion with Him.
ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF DAVID’S DESIRE (Ps. 27:5)
Safe and secure from all troubles (Ps. 91:1,2).
In the day of trouble:
▪I don’t have to start looking for Him.
▪I only have to trust Him as I call on Him, knowing He’s near (James 4:8).
▪The safety of believers is not in the walls of the Temple but rather in the God of the Temple, and their comfort in the communion with Him.
▪He would be lifted up (Ps.27:6a; 40:2).
The closer we are to God, the less we fear what life can bring against us (Rom. 8:31).
DAVID’S RESPONSE TO THE BENEFITS (Ps. 27.6b).
1. He would offer sacrifices of joy.
▪Our being joyful in God’s presence is a sacrifice to Him.
▪Cheerful offerings (2Cor. 9:6-8). Giving is an act of worship (Deut. 16:16-17). It is the foundation of our redemption (Jn. 3:16).
2. He would sing
▪Living in fellowship with God should result in joyful singing throughout the day.
3. He would sing praises to God.
▪Whatever be the matter of our joy ought to be the matter of our praise.
▪When we worship God in His Temple, we ought to do it with joy and praise, for then we receive comfort, even in these difficult times. (Ps. 16:11).
CONCLUSION
In this difficult season that we find ourselves, what is your utmost desire? To seek God, dwell in His presence, praise and worship Him, and be in communion with Him? This is how to enjoy divine comfort in this season.
Let your song be…
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee
You alone are my strength and shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee.
What a fellowship,
What a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness,
What a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, Leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, Leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread,
What have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace,
With my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, Leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, Leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.