FOCUS ON GOD PRODUCES
PEACE AND PRAISE!
Psalm 27:4,5
4 One thing have I asked
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 gaze upon the
beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his
temple.
5 For he
will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under
the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high
upon a rock.
The length of a trial
is not caused by God’s inability to bring it to an end, but on the intention of
the almighty God to bring it to its good end.
David had learned he truly
needed God’s help to go through his trials. He knew that his journey in the
storm had to begin with prayer. His prayer was to be faithful and remain in
close fellowship with God, becoming more and
more aware of Gods beauty.
Many, during trials, tend
to lose sight of God; many ask themselves where God is in all they are
experiencing. The problem is that our view of God is dependent on our own
desires and perceived needs, which rule our feelings.
Even in his days of
trouble, David did not question the character of God. His prayer was to be in
fellowship with God. Dear friends, our prayer during troubled times should be
to ask God to show us His beauty.
God never stops being
utterly glorious, even during the times when this world becomes extremely ugly
and the people around us seem to be especially hateful. The world should never
become our shelter or our hope for comfort.
Think about the thoughts
that go through your mind in times of trouble and desperation. Are they driving
you into the arms of God? Are they causing you to focus on the temporal? Are
they leading you to look at yourself, or to
God?
David never lost sight of
the beauty of God, nor trust in His intentions. He knew that there was always
room for him in the shelter of God. He knew
that he could hide in the protection of his God, and that there was always a
stable place of safety close to His Lord.
David’s resolve drove his
feelings and actions.
6 And now my head
shall be lifted up
above my enemies all
around me,
and I will offer in his
tent
sacrifices with shouts
of joy;
I will sing and make
melody to the Lord.
David would not allow his
enemies to beat him down. His head was high; he was not living in dejection or
self-pity. His enemies did not necessarily disappear, but neither did David’s
worshipful view of God.
What David knew about God
informed his actions. His God deserved his worship. When David went through the
rituals of sacrifice, he made sure he was pure before God by asking for
forgiveness, and
he praised his God in humble submission.
The trials, the enemies,
the difficulties could drive him to sadness and despair, or into the presence
of God, where praise is the only appropriate focus.
Because David’s songs were
often born from trouble, they were not lighthearted; but they were always
driven by truth, for his knowledge of God was informing his praise.
Dear friends, what kind of
words do you utter in times of trial, when you are being mistreated? I know
what kind of words tend to come out when I allow “me” to get in the way. We
might feel free to vent our frustrations to those close to us, but no matter
when and how we do, they are never honoring to God.
Is your face looking
heavenward? Are you looking at the example of your Lord? Are you driven by your
passion to know God in a deeper and more meaningful way? Are you praying
Scriptures into your heart? Are you carefully watching what is feeding your
mind?
How I wish I could claim that this has always been
true in my life. My sins and scars prove the contrary. But I know that I do not
need to live in the past; there is forgiveness for those who repent. Our
repentance should not be driven by a desire to see situations change, but
because we realize that we have offended our gracious and perfect Lord.
Today, I don’t have to
live without hope or in desperation, for I can live in the arms of my Savior,
grateful that the trials, the enemies are driving me back into His arms, where
my heart can find protection and my lips can utter praise.
May the Lord Himself be
our focal point today!
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