If you are a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and don’t think that the Biden-Harris administration will encourage persecution of Christians, you are kidding yourself. In the not-to-distant future, to criticize the lifestyles promoted by the LGBTQ movement will be “hate speech” which will bring real consequences. The same can be said about anyone who proclaims the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes the truth taught in John 14:6 (ESV):
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Some, if not many, will play “quiet mouse” so they do not “rock the boat” lest the world not like them. They will be the silent majority of the sleeping (possibly dead) church that really has no need of the truth David set forth in Psalm 27.
But, for those Christ-followers who proclaim the truth of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and are not afraid to voice biblical morals, in all likelihood, Psalm 27 will be great comfort in the face of the intolerant left, the “cancel culture” and the weight of the government’s “hate speech” laws. Possibly, that is why in the Day 177 reading of Professor Horner’s reading plan, Psalm 27:8 stood out to me. Three translations of Psalm 27:8 read:
Psalm 27:8 (NASB95) – 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
Psalm 27:8 (NIV) – 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Psalm 27:8 (NLT) – 8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
This verse tells us that: (1) David heard God’s command to seek His face, and (2) after hearing, David obeyed by seeking God’s face with his heart. To apply this text to our 21st Century lives, two basic personal questions arise. First, what does seeking after God ‘s face with my heart comprise? Second, what good would it do to seek after God’s face with my heart?
In an effort to answers these questions, I block copied the text of Psalm 27:1-14 on a sheet of paper, moved the text to the right side so I had a generous left hand margin and expanded the line spacing of the text. Then I asked the 5 W’s and H questions in an effort to squeeze all I could out the words on the page. I also used the visual representation feature of the GraphōbleÔ Bible Study Journal to better comprehend the relationships set forth in Psalm 27. If anyone wants to see these Bible study tools, please e-mail me and I will send it to you.
Here’s what God revealed to me through my efforts to better understand Psalm 27, and in particular, Psalm 27:8.
First, along the lines of what Christians will in all likelihood face, David was facing perilous times: (1) “evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh” (v. 2), (2) “a host encamp against me” (v.3), (3) “war arise against me” (v. 3), (4) “in the day of trouble” (v. 5), (5) “the desire of my adversaries” (v. 12), and (6) “false witnesses have risen against me. And such as breathe out violence” (v.12). We see that the situational context of Psalm 27 is relevant to the perilous times a Christian will face. David faced great opposition that seemed overwhelming especially when one considers dire circumstances of “a host encamp against me.” Evangelical Christians very likely will face opposition that seems impossible to withstand without caving.
Second, for those who are in trouble, Psalm 27 lists some comforting attributes of God, which include the benefits of seeking His face: (1) He is my light (v. 1), (2) He is my salvation (vv. 1, 9), (3) He is the defense of my life (v. 1), (4) He conceals me in times of trouble (v. 5), (5) He hides me in the secret place of His tent (v. 5), (6) He lifts me up on a rock (v. 5) so my head is above my enemies (v. 6), and (7) He takes me up out of trouble (v. 10). We discover that God is our guide, our way of salvation, and our protector. In the eternal context, God has delivered a Christ-follower from eternal damnation in hell. In the temporal sense, God is fully capable to deliver us from any situation. However, one must keep in mind that it may not be God’s plan to deliver us out of a difficult situation.
Third, the ways to seek God’s face with one’s heart are: (1) dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life (v. 4), (2) behold the beauty of the Lord (v. 4), (3) meditate in His temple (v. 4), (4) offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy (v. 6), (5) I will sing to the LORD (v. 6), (6) I will sing praises to the Lord (v. 6), (7) teach me Your way, O Lord (v. 11), (8) lead me in a level path (v. 11), and (9) see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living (v.13). We appreciate that in order to seek God’s face with our heart, we need to engage God’s Word, ask God for guidance, be in prayer, meditate on God and His Word, sing to God, voice praises to God, and look forward to the beauty of our eternal home in heaven in the very presence of God. In brief, we can seek God’s face by doing our best to direct our thoughts, words and deeds toward God, i.e., live a theo-centric life.
Fourth, David asked God not to do certain things: (1) do not hide Your face from me (v. 9), (2) do not turn Your servant away in anger (v. 9), (3) do not abandon me (v. 9), (4) do not forsake me (v. 9), and (5) do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries (v. 12). We appreciate that there is nothing wrong in asking God not to do certain things that will destroy us at least physically.
Fifth, Psalm 28:14 teaches that patience is a good thing:
14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.
As a final comment, Psalm 27 is a great blueprint for prayer. I suggest that you block copy Psalm 27 on a sheet of paper and write out a prayer in the margins and between the lines. Keep your prayer for future reference.
The Professor Grant Horner Bible Reading System is a great 500 day Bible reading plan. The following link presents a description of the plan ( https://sohmer.net/media/professor_grant_horners_bible_reading_system.pdf). My goal is to briefly share my thoughts on the passage that stands out the most for me each day. For Day 177, Psalm 27:8 was the text that stood out.
If you are reading this post and are not a Christian, unless God intervenes, your eternal destination is hell. But, your destiny can change. Today can be the day of your salvation. Please see my blog (https://stevebelsheim.com/2020/04/20/for-god-so-loves-you-2/) for a description of how you can be saved.
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