Sermon: Wait for the Lord

In Sunday’s sermon, Kevin McAlvey used Psalm 27 to show us that we can live in this world without being anxious. 

David was familiar with danger. At different times in his life he faced all kinds of enemies: wild beasts, the giant Goliath, king Saul, and his own rebellious son Absolom. In Psalm 27 we see how he has learned to seek and to trust God in all of life’s anxieties…

Confidence. [v1-6] He says that the Lord is his light. In darkness there are danger and uncertainty, but in light there is safety, and there is knowledge. In God there is nothing to fear. 

He says that the Lord is his stronghold. In order to vanquish an enemy the stronghold must be taken, but if the stronghold is God himself then the enemy will never win. 

His enemies are not abstractions. He is not being symbolic when he refers to evildoers. David had actual human enemies who wanted him dead, yet he is confident. He asks to dwell in God’s house. He longs for communion with God because he knows that his safety is in God. He does not ask to be removed from the danger but that he would be with God in the midst of it.

And he assumes that God will protect him there.

Cry. [v7-13]  In the first half of the psalm we hear David saying, “I believe!” In these next verses we hear him saying, “Help my unbelief!” In this cry, David reminds God that he is doing what God said for him to do – he is seeking His face.

Because he can be confident, David pleads with God to hear him. He asks that God not hide from him or turn away from him or cast him off. He asks that God teach him. It is a confident pleading.

David also ends his cry to God with confidence: “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!”   

Counsel. [v14]  David ends by saying, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; and wait on the Lord!” 

He can rightly give us this good advice because we can see that he had confidence, that he wrestled with God in that confidence, and that God delivered him again and again. 

David’s confidence, cry, and counsel can and should be ours. God has not changed; the Bible is a testament to his unchanging goodness. And while all of David’s promises may not be yours, Jesus has given you even better ones. 

And his promises never fail. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will be with you always, even to the end. No enemy in all of creation can ever come between you and Jesus. We hear it in the angel’s words to the shepherds: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

So what do you trust in? Is it Christ? Or is it something that will fail?