"Triumphant Faith"

Psalm 27:1-9

“Triumphant Faith”

By: Kenneth E. Sauer, Pastor of Parkview United Methodist Church, Newport News, VA

Psalm 27 is a mountain peak of trust and faith in God.

King David, who wrote this Psalm knew alot about fear. He was often on the run for his

life.

One attack came after another.

And yet through it all, David learned to overcome his fears by placing his trust in God.

In verse 3, David writes, “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though

war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

Obviously, David’s confidence did not come due to any absence of problems.

And many of us today are facing some pretty rough times: Many of us have

medical problems, difficult family situations, and financial problems.

Some of us are dealing with all kinds of different fears: the fear of the unknown, the

fear of death, the fear of failure, the fear of being rejected, the fear of sickness, the fear of

loneliness, and the list could go on and on...

So let’s learn from King David today....

Let’s learn from this beautiful Psalm....and let’s find the encouragement we need to

stand strong in the face of all kinds of problems.

In reading Psalm 27 it becomes immediately clear that David’s confidence and

communion with the Lord are antidotes to fear.

And David’s confidence comes from his faith.

David’s faith tells him that God is present even in the midst of life’s problems.

One tribe of native Americans had a unique way to train young braves.

On the night of the boy’s 13th birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the

entire night alone.

Until then, he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe.

But on this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took the blindfold

off, he was in the middle of thick woods. By himself--All night long.

Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce.

Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked.

There is no doubt that this was a terrifying night for many.

After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the

forest.

Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path.

Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet

away, armed with a bow and arrow.

It was the boy’s father.

He had been there all night long.

And this is how our Heavenly Father works. We might not be able to see Him with our

eyes, but He is with us at all times, protecting us, and loving us, and enabling us to face life’s

most difficult obstacles with confidence.

Through our faith in God, we can know that we are never ever alone!

Hebrews chapter 13 tells us that many of us have entertained angels without even

knowing it, and God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man

do to me?”

And this is a truth that we must keep in mind at all times--especially as we face an often

hostle world.

Other people can put us down, stab us in our backs, and even try to physically assault us

but God is much bigger than any person...and if we are in Christ---our ultimate dwelling place

will be with God in eternity.

The atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell put it, “The older I get, the more nervous I

become.”

In contrast, two weeks before his death, Pope John the 23rd said, “My bags are packed.

I’m ready to go.”

Wow, now that is an example of triumphant faith!

How many of us can say that with confidence this morning?

In verse 1 of Psalm 27 David declares, “The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom

shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?”

David knew Who God is....he knew the character of God...he knew that God is the

One who loves him, God is the One who is always faithful and true, and that is why he can

fully trust him.

We too can know these characteristics of God through our personal relationship with

Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the “exact representation” of God’s being.

That means that when we see Christ...we see God.

And thanks be to God, we can get a good glimpse of what Christ is like by reading the

New Testament.

Christ is the One who knocks at the door of our hearts asking to come into us...and make