A very good morning to you my precious family and friends

Psalm 27:4-5 says “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”

There is a famous phrase on T-shirts entitled “No Fear.” It represents a philosophy that says that I won’t fear anything in life. David describes his “No Fear” philosophy in these verses. He has no fear because of his salvation. Because God is his light and salvation and stronghold, he has no fear. When bad people and bad things happen, his heart will not be afraid. He fears nothing. Yet, he enjoys being in the presence of God. In the same way, we should not fear. We don’t need to fear. There may be many reasons one would think to be fearful. However, because of our salvation, we should have no fear.

King David cries for help in a time of great distress, a renewed vow of faithfulness to God and ultimately a statement of belief in His power and complete trust in the protection that only God can provide.

How can we keep the faith in a time of crisis? Sometimes the storm takes us completely by surprise: the bad report, the betrayal of a friend, the crisis at work, the suffering of a loved one. From one second to another we are transferred to another reality sweeping through our souls and bodies with waves of fear and anxiety. Our boats are rocking on a raging sea. We find it difficult to concentrate, to pray, to think clearly and to stay firm in faith in the time of crisis.

The most important but difficult thing to do in times of crisis is to lift our gaze from the fear and to focus our attention on the Lord. The more we focus on the Lord, on His character and His promises, the more we can receive His peace and guidance. The Bible calls this having a steadfast mind, trusting in God (Isaiah 26:3). We can do this by focussing on a verse or a phrase anchoring us to our Father. Psalm 27 is full of such peace and hope-giving words. David speaks to his fears and anxiety proclaiming that God is his light, salvation, and stronghold. Is this not everything we need in a time of crisis?

To stay firm in faith in a time of crisis we need to remember who God is and what He has done for us in the past. Remembering is a spiritual discipline that we need to master. The Hebrew word zakar is widely used in the Bible. It is translated in English with the words remember, remembered, or remembrance. Zakar means not only to remember but also to think or pay attention to.

Remembering God means to acknowledge, to focus on, to consider, to take into account, to keep in mind, to meditate on, to think about, not to forget who He is and what He has done and what He has promised to do. This discipline helps us stay connected with the truth and the reality of His presence and love.

We practice focusing on God by;

  • Praying to and praising Him
  • calling upon His name
  • reflecting and talking about what He has done for us in the past
  • boasting in His name
  • singing and choosing to rejoice despite the circumstances.

God invites us to search and find our joy, shelter, and peace in Him during the storm.

Because He is the one who keeps us safe in times of crisis, verse 5 reminds us “For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”

Our God remembers – His covenant, His promises, all our sorrows and tears, our deepest desires and needs. He is a God, who remembers us every day choosing in Christ to give us abundant life and eternal blessings.

Sharing our troubles with our brothers and sisters and allowing them to meet our needs is also part of God’s provision in a time of crisis. God has provided for us a family to get support and encouragement.

Every day and season are a training ground for us –learning to search the Lord in all circumstances, to know Him more and training our mind and souls to stay fixed on Him and His beauty. Because gazing at the beauty of the Lord is what makes us stable and strong so we can take heart and wait for Him in confidence.

David closes the Psalm with a great encouragement in verses 13 and 14. “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” There was a firmly rooted conviction in David’s heart – no matter how tough, strange, or long the days seemed, he knew he was going to see the goodness of God in his life. Holding fast to this truth allowed him to endure and to “wait and seek. Verse 14 says “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” Courage will give us the strength to wait for God while we seek Him.

Let us pray

Dear Father God, we are living in times of unprecedented crisis and pandemic. Uncertainty and chaos breed fear and anxiety. Lord, we need You. Please, fill us with the knowledge of Your will with all wisdom and understanding Your Holy Spirit gives. Help us live as You want and do what pleases You. Help us produce all kinds of good deeds and grow in the knowledge of You. Most of all make us strong with all the strength that comes from You, so that we may be able to endure everything with patience and joy. Help us be salt and light, Lord, and messengers of love and hope in these times of trouble! In Jesus name. Amen.

Much blessings in Christ from Maurice and Margaret