I invite you to join me in Psalms
27. Psalm 27. Verse one says, the Lord is my
light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When
the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to
eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should
encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, though war should rise
against me, and this will I be confident. One thing have I desired
of the Lord that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty
of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of
trouble, he shall hide me in his pavilion. In the secret of
his tabernacle shall he hide me. He shall set me up upon a
rock. And now shall mine head be lifted
up above mine enemies round about me. Therefore will I offer in
his tabernacle sacrifices of joy. I will sing, yea, I will
sing praises unto the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with
my voice. Have mercy also upon me and answer
me. When thou saidest, seek my face,
my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide
not thy face far from me. Put not thy servant away in anger. Thou hast been my help. Leave
me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father
and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach
me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of
mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the
will of mine enemies, for false witnesses are risen up against
me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted unless I had believed
to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait
on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine
heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. And that's why I've entitled
this message, Wait on the Lord. Often, Brother Marvin and I will
discuss certain matters, and he often ends that conversation
with, wait on the Lord. He once told me, if you ever
remember nothing, if you ever remember anything, remember this
one thing, wait on the Lord. And such as true words, we as
human beings are like little fixers. We want to get our little
grubby hands on something and think we have the power to fix
anything. But when what we really need to do is wait, look eagerly
for, lie in wait, linger for the Lord. To wait on the Lord
is not a naive or procrastination of heart. It is quite the opposite. To wait on the Lord is a show
of faith in Christ. To wait on the Lord is a act
of hopeful trust and a confident expectation in God's timing and
God's promises and his character. In verse one, it says the Lord
is my light and my salvation. If we truly believe he is our
light, that light of the Lord God is going to lead us in his
time, not ours. Here in Psalm 84 verse 11, it
says, for the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give
grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly. He is a sun. The sun is bright. It sends out light to all the
nations of the earth. The sun sends the light of the
Lord the same way the Lord sends the power of his spirit into
the hearts of sinners. placing his word, the word of
God, into his elect at a predetermined time by will, by his will, and
for his purpose. It says he is a shield. He shields
his people from that which doeth them harm. It continues in verse
12 of Psalm 84 to say, O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man
that trusteth in thee. It seems like such an easy thing
right to trust in the Lord. However, the problem is by man
by nature has a sin problem inherited from our first father Adam. When
he found the garden man by nature will never be rid of this sin
until the Lord calls him home. But God, who is rich in mercy
before the world began, selected a particular people to be partakers
of his majesty to be partakers of him. He would send the power
of the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into their hearts by
the power of his word, the word of God. His people would be shown
Christ, be shown the redemptive work of Christ, the son of God,
when he accomplished, when his blood was shed on Calvary's cross
for his sheep. Why am I waiting? Why am I not
doing something about my sin debt? Because one, I have no
power in and of myself. And two, it's already finished. Such a wonderful thing. Christ
finished his father's work. When we read these scriptures,
when we search these scriptures, the Lord reveals to us truly
that everything's already been accomplished. It is amazing to
me, page after page, book after book, it says, in portions, give
thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, because his mercy endureth
forever. The Lord endureth forever. His merciful kindness is great
towards us. I was brought low and he helped
me. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord. He is their help
and their shield. It is better to trust in the
Lord than put confidence in man. These are just a couple verses
or portions, but it's all throughout the word. He has done, he is
doing and will continue to do so much for his people. When
we wait on the Lord, he keeps his people secure in him. To
wait on the Lord is to trusteth in Him, to trust in His will
and His purpose, and that's exactly what I need to do. I need to
trust in Him, not just for a moment, not when things are going good,
not when He brings me out of trial. I need to trusteth in
Him at all times and continually. I need the faith of Christ to
burn continually in my heart. In verse one of our text, David
says, the Lord is my light, my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is my rescuer. The Lord
is my safety. The Lord is my victory. And in
the Lord, I am victorious. If the Lord is my salvation,
then what am I in a hurry for? If I am safe in the Lord, then
wait, wait for whatever the Lord directeth us to. In Exodus 15 two it says the
Lord is my strength and song. He is become my salvation. He
is my God and I will prepare him and habitation. My father's
God and I will exalt him. If the Lord is my strength and
wait, wait on the Lord. The Lord is my song. I want to
sing unto him melodies of his name. Melodies that are reverent
to who he is. Allow me to sing of his salvation
for his people. What is the song Moses is singing
the same song David saying in Psalm 5917 unto thee all my strength
will I sing for God is my defense and the God of my mercy. It is
my prayer that whenever we breathe his name that he we would always
exalt the name of the Lord. I pray that we always bring glory
to him that we would praise him that we'd celebrate him and the
work his son finished that we would exalt him and suppress
man. Psalm 147 says, Oh God, the Lord, the strength
of my salvation. Thou hast covered my head in
the day of battle. The Lord is our strength in battle.
He covers our head when we go into this wilderness called the
world. He is our helmet of salvation.
When we encounter false witnesses, the Lord covers our head with
the strength of his salvation. Psalm 118 says verse 14, the
Lord is my strength and song and is become my salvation. Isaiah 12 verse 2 says, behold,
God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid
for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also is become
my salvation. And then in Isaiah 26. Verse
4 says trust ye in the Lord forever from the Lord. Jehovah is everlasting
strength and also the everlasting strength is the rock of ages,
the rock of ages. Once again, when I wait on the
Lord, I am trusting what he has inspired men to write in his
scriptures. He is my strength, he is my song,
he is and has become my salvation. Back in Psalm 27, verse 4, it
says, one thing I have desired of the Lord that I will seek
after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days
of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in
his temple. What a wonderful thing to be
found in the house of the Lord, to be able to behold the beauty
of the Lord. What a wonderful thing when he allows us, gives
us the ability to seek his face. It sounds so wonderful, but we
know this life is full of ups and downs. And I'm often reminded
of Brother Scott, and I'm sure y'all actually heard him yourself
say, a believer is either coming out of a trial, in a trial, or
about to go into a trial. Whichever place we find ourselves
in, may we always look to him and seek his face through each
trial. He sends forth these trials to
show us that no matter where we are, that we cannot face them
without him. Verse five, it says, for in the
time of trouble, he shall hide me in his pavilion. In the secret
of his tabernacle shall he hide me. He shall set me up upon a
rock. The pavilion, a hut or a lair.
Trust me, if the Lord is setting you upon a rock, I guarantee
it's going to be up and not down, because his rock is high and
lifted up. He is the rock of ages, that
everlasting strength. I can just imagine, just like
a father picks his child up and places them up, the God our Father
picks us up, places us above. If we are in him, we are in a
safe place. he shall set them up upon that
rock. When he's up on that rock, his
head is above his enemies. In this tabernacle, sacrifices
of joy I will sing, I will sing praises unto the Lord. When we
are safe and secure in the Lord, the Lord fills our heart with
the one and true joy, the joy of the salvation of the Lord.
How wonderful to be able to sing praises unto the Lord. Verse
8 says, when thou saidest, seek ye my face, my heart said unto
thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek? This is what we yearn to do at
this very moment, to seek the face of the Lord, to seek his
presence. In Matthew 18, 20, it says, for
where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am
I in the midst of them. Seek his presence. Verse 11 says,
teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because
of my enemies. Wait on the Lord, and he will
teach you of his way. To teach is to set, to direct,
to instruct, to point out. I think of a classroom as students
are learning their studies. They have to sit and wait on
their teacher as they receive their lessons. They have to wait.
John 14, 6 says, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. What is his way? His way is the
only way. His way is the truth about God
and true life, the only life in and through Christ Jesus.
If we are not in Christ Jesus, we have no path to the Father.
Let's read Psalm 25 together. Psalm 25 says, unto thee, O Lord,
do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee. Let
me not be ashamed. Let not mine enemies triumph
over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee
be ashamed. Let them, let them, be ashamed,
which transgress without cause. Show me thy ways, O Lord, teach
me thy paths. I'm gonna pause there for a moment.
And Exodus 33, 13 says, now therefore I pray thee, if I have found
grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee,
that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this
nation is thy people, that this nation is thine inheritance. If we are made to know the grace
of God, he will show us thy way, his ways. Continuing on in verse
five of Psalm 25, it says, lead me in thy truth and teach me,
for thou art the God of my salvation. On thee do I wait all the day.
Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness,
for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth
nor my transgressions according to thy mercy. Remember thou of
me for thy goodness sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore will he teach sinners
in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment,
and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord
are mercy and truth, unto such as keep his covenant and his
testimonies. For thy namesake, O Lord, pardon
my iniquity, for it is great. What man is he that feareth the
Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His
soul shall dwell at ease, and his seed shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will
show them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the
Lord, for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto
me and have mercy upon me, for I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh, bring thou me out
of my distresses. Look upon my affliction, my pain,
and forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they
are many, and they hate me with cruel hatred. They hate me with
hatred of violence. Oh, keep my soul and deliver
me. Let me not be ashamed, for I
put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness
preserve me, for I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, God, out of all
his troubles. At the top of my Bible, it actually
says, a prayer for pardon and help. And all throughout that,
I am seeing that help. I am also seeing our text, and
teach me thy way. He says it several different
times. In verse five, he talks about,
lean me in thy truth, But he also says, on thee do I wait
all the day. In verse eight, he says, will
he teach sinners in the way? Verse 10, he talks about all
the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such that keep
his covenant testimonies. And in and of myself, I do not
have the ability to keep his covenant testimonies, but when I'm in His Son, I'm doing just
that. And that's the only way in His
Son am I able to. Verse 11 talks about part of
my iniquity for it is great and I can certainly relate to that. My iniquity is so great and I'm
thankful that He, that His Son, that His Son died on the cross
to pay for that iniquity. Verse 12 Him shall he teach in
the way that he shall choose. We're seeing this trend here
of teaching. And I think really true, that's
what a pastor does, or a messenger, is he teaches the Lord's ways. And it's all the way from Genesis
to Revelation. In Psalm 119.33, it says, teach
me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the
end. In verse 42 of that same chapter says, so shall I have
wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me, for I trust in
the Lord. When we are made to trust in
the word of God, we are made to wait on the Lord. Along with
this theme here of waiting on the Lord, Brother Marvin also
tells me at the end of some conversations, I'm sure he's probably said it
to some of y'all also, please pray on this matter with me.
Thinking back to Psalm 25, it got me looking at some other
verses, and Psalm 86 5 says, For thou, Lord, art good
and ready to forgive and plentuous in mercy unto all them that call
upon thee. He is ready to forgive and plentuous
in mercy. Just call upon his name. Seek
his face. Isaiah 55 six. Says. Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found. Call ye upon him while he is
near. I have much. I have much and
I need to call upon the Lord. I have much I need to thank the
Lord for. I need to call upon the asking
for forgiveness and giving thanks for his mercy. In Psalm 1914, It says, let the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable on thy sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. My strength in regards to, O
Lord, our Lord, according to the Blue Letter Bible is something
we have already gone through. My strength is rock. the rock
of ages, the rock of God, the mighty God, my Redeemer, the
one who paid the sin debt with the shed blood for the remission
of sins, the Son of God, Christ Jesus. In and of ourselves, we
are not acceptable. Our words and our stony heart
are unacceptable. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace, you're saved. He placed
the spirit of his word in our hearts and gave us a new heart
and made a new man alive in us. With this new heart, this new
thought process, we are made able to breathe words and meditate
in our hearts in his holy and precious name. We come to God
the father with holy reverence, crying our hearts out to our
heavenly father, making declarations to him, praying that the spirit
would be pleased to meet with us and rain his mercies upon
us, asking the Father, strengthen us by way of himself, the Rock
of Ages. Back in our text in Psalm 27,
verse 12 says, deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies,
for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe
out cruelty. David is not oblivious to his
surroundings. He knows his enemies are watching
him, and he asked, please don't send me into my enemy's will.
He knows there are false witnesses against God, and they breathe
such cruel words. Sounds very familiar to this
day. In verse 14, as we end this chapter,
it says, wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Wait
on the Lord, be of good courage. What is good courage? It means
to strengthen, to prevail, to be strong, be firm, grow firm,
to be resolute. I find it interesting, he says,
be of good courage as in to strengthen, and the Lord shall strengthen
thy heart. Good courage is only had because
of what the Lord does for his people. When the Lord strengthens
thy heart, he gives his people the good courage David speaks
of here. Not to say that we have any ability of it in ourselves,
but he's saying when we wait on the Lord and be of good courage,
we are doing this only by the strengthening of the heart the
Lord makes us to be. And then David, just to make
sure we got it, says again, wait. I say, wait on the Lord. When
we are made to believe on the Son of God, when we are shown
that we are nothing without Christ Jesus, we will be shown to wait
on the Lord. To wait on the Lord is to trust
in his will and his purpose. Wait on the Lord is trusting
in the faith of Christ. Waiting on the Lord is trusting
in what the scriptures say. Quote, be content with such things
as ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee, end quote. Why am I waiting on the Lord?
Because in Psalm 118 it says, the Lord is on my side, I will
not fear. What can man do to me? What can
man do unto me? Why am I waiting on the Lord?
Because Psalm 27 one, as we read, says, the Lord is my light and
my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
a strength of my life. Whom shall I be afraid? And I
pray the Lord will teach us his ways and teach us to wait on
him. And as we wait on him, to call on him and to seek him in
prayer.