FEAR-LESS!
Psalm 27 – Having confidence in God
Good morning, everyone! I hope you’re doing well today.
Have you ever noticed how fear can sneak into our hearts and take over our thinking—sometimes without warning? It doesn’t matter how strong our faith might be; fear has a way of creeping in during life’s uncertain moments. And if we’re not careful, it can shape our decisions, rob our peace, and shake our confidence in God.
That’s why today I want us to look again at one of the most beloved and powerful psalms in all of Scripture—Psalm 27.Many of you may already know it. Over the years, countless worship songs have been inspired by its words. But more than its musical influence, what makes this psalm unforgettable is its message. At its core, Psalm 27 is a psalm of hope. It’s a declaration of trust. It’s a reminder that God is good—and He is always watching over His people.
In this psalm, David doesn’t avoid the topic of fear—he confronts it head on. And in doing so, he gives us a framework for how we can face fear, not with panic, but with confidence in the Lord.
So if you’ve got your Bible, let’s turn together to Psalm 27.
Before we read it, let me ask you: Have you ever felt the crushing weight of fear?
Fear that keeps you up at night?
Fear that hinders your obedience to God?
Fear that whispers lies to your soul about what might happen next?
Fear is more than just an emotion. It’s a force that can paralyze us, rob our joy, and interfere with our walk with God. The dictionary describes fear as the anxious feeling that something bad is about to happen—or already has. Others define it more memorably as F.E.A.R.: “False Evidence Appearing Real.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who stood against Nazi oppression, once said, “Fear takes away a person’s humanity.”
President Herbert Hoover noted, “The dominant emotion everywhere in the world is fear.”
If we don’t learn to deal with fear—it will learn to deal with us. Left unchecked, it controls us.
At its root, fear is often about loss. The fear of losing our health, our security, our relationships, or our place in this world. As Mark Twain once quipped, “I’ve worried about a great many things, but most of them never happened.”
And then there’s the military leader, General George Patton, who offered this insight: “I learned at a very young age not to take the counsel of my fears.” Yet even Patton admitted that he faced fear in every battle.
So what about you?
Are you taking counsel from your fears—or from your faith?
Let’s listen to the voice of David, a man who knew both danger and deliverance. Let’s walk through Psalm 27 and learn how we, too, can find courage when fear tries to take hold.
(Would you pause with me for a moment – and find a piece of paper and write out what your greatest fear in life is – right now. Today, what has you bound up with fear? It probably has to do with loss – loss of a job, or marriage, or position, or money, or power, or future, or past, or reputation. What is it? )
Write it out – and at the end of the service I want you to hold that with me
And as we close in prayer and give that fear to God!
_____
A few weeks ago I took my youngest son Carson to a store in town. As we came out and were walking to the car…he pulled away from me and ran to the edge of the parking lot to carefully walk the curb like a balance beam. With hands stretched — he wobbled back and forth crossing the long curb without any help. But as he came to the end — he froze, almost paralyzed with fear…because the curb ended with a large gap between it and the next curb. And he was uncertain he could jump the gap. So I stepped in and carried him in my arms over the gap to the next curb where he quickly regained his confidence and with arms outstretched began the balancing act again.
Psalm 27 reflects our own balancing act between our trust in God and the many ways fear seeks to knock us off the curb of life as we serve God.
Paul wrote to Timothy, “God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7).
A spirit of fearfulness and timidity does not come from God.
And YOU and I must learn to overcome our fears…and live our lives free to boldly experience the fullness of the life God has called us to.
So, this morning – we are going to be looking at Psalm 27…which deals directly with the issue of overcoming fear.
Now, many Bible scholars believe this Psalm may have been written in the aftermath of David defeating Goliath. Not immediately, but in time – as his popularity increased.
And with it came pain. While success was great – it brought with it incredible challenges – as King Saul wanted to take his life…and was searching for him to kill him.
If you remember, God’s prophet had already anointed David as Israel’s next King – but the timing wasn’t right yet – and so, he was waiting on God. But in the mean time, Saul was trying to kill him.
And here’s what David writes,
1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid?The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? 2 When evil people come to devour me,when my enemies and foes attack me,they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. 4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. 6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music. 7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! 8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” 9 Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! 10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. 11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. 12 Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. 13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. 14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:1-14 (NLT)
It doesn’t matter how old or young you are – you have the potential of facing trials, terrors, and tragegy at every step in life.
Some of you may be dealing with a trial and the weightiness of fear in the area of your marriage.
Other’s may be facing this issue in the realm of your finances.
Some may be facing fear in your job – or maybe in regards to school.
For some this week it was much more serious.
With explosions and gunfire, security forces Friday ended three days of terror around Paris. It was the worst terrorist violence France has seen in decades – as at least 20 people were killed.
The fear and anxiety that comes with such terror can be debilitating if we allow it.
So, what do we do with fear – and what does this Psalm teach us about managing the trials of our lives and how we might overcome the challenges and battles that fear brings our way?
- WE MUST…DECLARE WHO GOD IS!
As David begins this psalm, he launches straight into a declaration of his position in God.
He says, in verse 1:
1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid?The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
He doesn’t begin with his problem…He begins with the solution – GOD!
What does this say to you and me? We’ll, we too should declare the answer in our own life. Declare what God has said to us in His Word. Trust Him…and declare the truth.
Don’t wait until you’re neck deep in fear – begin on the first sign of your struggles by looking up!
Isn’t it sad that most of us wait until the a crisis to pray – and then, if you’re like me, you probably try to manage your problem and fear on your own for a few days first…but then when things become to big and too heavy for us to manage…then we CRY OUT TO GOD IN PANIC – (Prayer). Right???
But shouldn’t we begin with God – rather than ourselves?
David’s pattern was to FIRST turn His attention to God. And in doing so, he DECLARED WHO GOD WAS!
1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation…”
Don’t do this to remind him – but to remind you.
When a crisis hits we should step back and remind ourselves of the great love and care of God.
Secondly, David reminds us that we should…
- DESIRE GOD’S PRESENCE – MORE THAN A PLACE.
Here’s what I mean by this – while David longed for the safety and security of his future promise – TO BE KING, it was his interest in just being in the presence of God that brought him confidence and solace.
Consider his thoughts in verse 4, where he says,
4 “The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.”
While David could have pursued the place of authority and power as the king… instead he settled his heart on just trusting God and pursuing His presence.
I wonder what we usually long for when fear and trial comes our way. I bet, if we’re honest – to often we just want to be in a different place. A different job, a different marriage, a different time, a different position. But the answer isn’t in a CHANGE OF LOCATION – it’s a change of perspective.
Our help comes from looking up – and desiring God’s ABIDING PRESENCE – not a change of scenery!
I challenge you to allow your trials and fears to drive you to Jesus rather than just away from your problems.
And when stress and crisis come your way, lift your eyes up and look for Him.
There’s a reason Psalm 121 declares, “1 I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord,who made heaven and earth!”
And even here in today’s psalm, David’s thoughts turn to worship and God’s presence. Now, this may sound silly – but in verse 6, David says,
6 “Then (when??? – when the pressure is on)…then… I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.”
Sometimes all it takes is a song of praise to get you back on the right page – trusting God. Which brings us to the third stage of overcoming FEAR! And that is:
- TRUST GOD COMPLETELY!
David gets real in verse 9 when he acknowledges the difficulty of his situation.
9 “Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! 10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
At this point in his journey, David reflects on the reality of his trial…and while acknowledging the truth – he still trusts!
Trust is really another way of describing FAITH.
And what David understands – and what we need to learn is that — our hope is not found in STRENGTH, LUCK, or RESOURCES. Our hope is only found in our FAITH in Jesus!
FAITH in our Savior – and our God, the creator of all – who watches over us!
Jesus declared in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Why is that encouraging? Because when we trust in Him and walk with Him – HE WALKS WITH US!
The cure for our fear begins with the conviction that God is for us – He is with us – and He will never let us go!
Along with his radical trust and confidence in God, he also understood the necessity of God’s Word and guidance through the challenges of life.
In Verse 11, David welcomes God’s guidance.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.
Here he invites God to direct His feelings – rather than trusting in his own emotion and fear. For us, we ought to take a page out of David’s playbook and allow God’s Word to instruct us as to how to live and respond.
We must choose to live by faith and not our feelings.
- WAIT ON GOD’S TIMING!
Stay with God! Don’t give up – or give out!
Don’t quit or force God’s hand and rush His plans.
Trust God’s goodness, believe in His character and His power…and patiently wait with Him.
In verses 13 & 14, David acknowledges his faith in God and he humbly trusts in God’s timing and authority.
Here he says,
13 …I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. 14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
Sometimes we are reluctant to trust God with our future – we want Him to act in our way, and in our timing!
But we need to remember the profound wisdom of a former holocaust survivor (that some of you will know) — Corrie ten Boom, who put it well when she said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
This is David’s point exactly. With great conviction regarding his past, present, and future, David reminds himself that “The Lord is my salvation.”
This is an awesome testimony to the power of trusting in God. Regardless of what happens, the psalmist will trust in God because he knows and understands that God is good – and God loves Him and is watching out for Him.
CONCLUSION:
I want to close with a story that sort of sums up these thoughts of David well.
Author and Pastor Max Lucado tells a about a friend of his who really struggles with the crippling fear of crowds.
He has said that this friend becomes very anxious when crowds of people build around him. He said, his breath gets short, and panic sets in, and he begins to sweat and get weak. And all the common effects of fear in our lives.
But he said – another friend of theirs offered some great advice to the man. This man was a golfer and asked the panic stricken man, “when you are hitting you ball out of the rough, the high grass, when the trees are surrounding you – what do you do?”
To which the man said, “I look for a way out – I try and find a path or an opening back onto the fairway.”
Again he asked, “You don’t focus the trees around you?” And the man said, “No! Of course not. I look for an opening and focus on hitting the ball through it.”
To which the golfer buddy said, “Then do the same thing when you’re in a crowd. When you feel the panic setting in, don’t focus on the people – focus on the opening.”
And while that may be good counsel for golf – it’s also good counsel in life.
Rather than focusing our attention on our fear in life – we should focus our attention on the solution. Which was precisely what David did.
And that’s what David learned to do. So, even though he may have found himself in the deepest, darkest valley of life – he could stand confident in hope and overcome his fear with his faith in God!
Here’s some good advice for you today:
When you face a mountain in life and fear overwhelms you, don’t measure the size of the mountain. Instead, call our to the one who can move your mountain.
Instead of carrying the world on your shoulders – call out to the One who holds the universe in his hands.
Folks, God never wants us to walk in fear – but rather in trust and in closeness to Him.
To this point the bible speaks. Did you know the most often repeated command in scripture is “Do not be afraid! ” And moreover, the most often repeated promise is scripture is the declaration, “I am with you!”
So as we seek to cultivate a heart for God – we would do well to follow in David’s footsteps, and continue to PUT OUR TRUST in Him.
Amen?
Let’s pray!
Heavenly Father, we pause today to thank you for your promise to ALWAYS be there for us. Through good times and bad, moments of plenty and little, through those days that go our way and those that do not — through it all you are with us. We thank you for your faithfulness, for your provision, and for your care. I pray now for anyone here who may be going through a trial or struggle that seems to be too big for them them to manage. In the midst of their heartache and pain, I ask you to be their peace. Would you watch over them, protect them, and give them help today. Manifest your presence in an almost tangible way in their lives. Empower them to trust in you and discover your abiding presence in the midst of their difficulty. Remove all fear from their lives — and encourage them today. Thank you for your goodness and your mercy that accompanies us with each step we take in life. We love you and thank you. In Jesus name we pray, amen!
And now, just one more thing: If you’re here this morning, and you’ve listened to everything we’ve said toady — from the worship and testimonies to the message, and through it all, you sense God stirring your heart to trust in Him. To seek Him. To know Him, would you respond by lifting your hand today— to let me know that your want to know Jesus. (Saying, “I want to be saved today?”)
If that’s you, would you be brave enough to slip your hand up and acknowledge that today?
Yes, we are so proud of you! In light of your desire to surrender your life to Jesus, would you pray with me? Maybe you’d say something like this:
Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner and I’ve chosen my way over yours too often. But all that changes today. Because, I believe in Your Son, Jesus. I believe that He came from Heaven to earth to pay for my sin. I believe He died on the cross, shed His blood, was put in a grave — and rose again. So, today — I put my faith in Jesus. Forgive me of my sin. Save me and give me new life in you forever. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
If you prayed today and made a decision to follow Jesus — would you let us know? We are so proud of you.This is the greatest decision you’ll ever make.