Read: Psalm 27
Watch: https://bibleproject.com/videos/faithful/
The shepherd-king David had a conversation with his own heart. He asked, “Why should I be afraid, why should I tremble?” He then answered his own question with a powerful declaration: “Yahweh is my light and my salvation…my fortress, protecting me!”
His next statement is perhaps his boldest: “The one thing I ask, the one thing I seek most… Is to live in the house of the LORD all my days, delighting in the LORD’s perfections, and meditating in His Temple.” This may well be the reason David was known as “a man after God’s own heart.” The one thing he most desired, the one thing he set his heart upon, the one thing he focused on most was remaining in constant communion with his Creator, Provider, Redeemer, and loving Father.
Oh, if that would be our prayer! David continues his psalmist’s prayer with, “Teach me how to live, lead me along right paths, protect me…” These themes keep popping up in our Summer of Psalms (the image above is what I referred to last week from Psalm 25). In his self-talk as he prays to God, David concludes with the powerful admonition, “Wait patiently for the LORD, be brave and courageous!”
If our hope is in the LORD, and if the one thing we value above all else is abiding with God, then our delight will be in His presence. If we seek His teaching, leading, and protection, and if we can say to ourselves, “Be brave, be courageous, wait for the Lord,” then we are truly becoming a person after God’s own heart. Are you willing?
Pray: God my Father, the one thing I ask, the one thing I seek most is to dwell in You, to delight in You, to set my focus and delight in You! You are my teaching, my guide, my protector. I wait patiently for you! I choose to be brave and courageous as I do so. Help me to be willing!
Discussion questions:
- David encourages himself to “wait patiently for the LORD” and “be brave and courageous.”
In a world that values immediate results, what does it truly mean to wait on God?
What is the most challenging part of that process for you, and how can you cultivate courage while you wait?
2. David states the “one thing” he most desired was to live in God’s presence.
What is the “one thing” you value above all else in your own life? How do your daily actions and choices reflect that primary focus, and how does it compare to David’s desire for constant communion with God?
3. David’s “conversation with himself” moves from fear to a declaration of faith.
What does your own internal self-talk sound like when you face a challenge or uncertainty? How can we intentionally shift our internal dialogue to focus on God’s character as our “light” and “fortress,” rather than on our fears?
