Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
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Many readers are struggling with the challenges of life's ups and downs, traumas and tragedies. For those who love the Lord, we take comfort in His presence. We look to Him. We trust in Him, but often His ways do not please us because we want what we want, when we want it (whatever “it” happens to be.) Also, we must accept that His timetable is not always compatible with ours. Worse, when God says “no,” that is hard for us to reconcile.
Thus, becoming discouraged and losing hope befalls us when sickness or tragedy strikes our family or friends. When careers crash, businesses fail, and jobs are lost, those with faith know He is there, but do we REALLY believe that when the walls are closing in?
That is why when you need to renew your faith and trust in the Lord, reading a Psalm can help lift your spirits. For every situation or emotion that you are experiencing, there is a Psalm to comfort you.
As I set out to write this Bible study, I was overwhelmed by a life situation (a case of trying to “move mountains”) and started flipping through Psalms to find one that would calm my soul and strengthen my trust in Him. Sure enough, I came across Psalm 27. All I had to do was read the opening verse and knew this was the one without reading further. The Psalm that follows is a magnificent statement of faith with answers that resonated with me and perhaps for you as well:
“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?” Yikes! He is talking to me! How did God arrange that? I already feel better. Fortunately, the following two dramatic verses are not as applicable at this time, but you never know what tomorrow will bring:
“When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” Obviously, King David, who wrote this Psalm, was going through the toughest of times.
Mirroring my desire to be with Him, I found the next verse highly applicable:
“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.”
The Psalm continues, and for those with faith, the Lord offers protection:
“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. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.” King David loved to play the harp in good and bad times.
Here is the mindblowing part. How my situation relates to the following verses is no coincidence. Now I know there was a Divine appointment for me to read and write about Psalm 27. Moreover, the Lord knew I needed to read these words before I even knew I was going to write this study about Psalm 27:
“Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.”
The next verses are not as directly relevant to what I am feeling at this moment, but might be to you:
“Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Finally, I discover that the last verses of Psalm 27 are what I am supposed to inject into my bloodstream:
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” This verse is why I love the Lord. He knows what I am struggling with is forthcoming and worth the wait. He is instructing me to “be strong and take heart” while “waiting” for Him because He knows that my sin of impatience can make me lose trust.
If Bible study reads like a therapy session between me and the Lord, that is because it turned into one! I read the Psalm as I wrote this study under a time crunch after scrapping my original study topic halfway through writing it.
But this study is not about me. There is a lesson here for all of us. Psalms can be a personal therapy session with Him. Whatever your struggle, pray about finding a Psalm that provides the message He wants you to know. And then praise God when you find it. And you WILL FIND IT! Amen to that.
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer with numerous national credits. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” with the same title, reprints Vols. 57-113. Order it here.
Myra is also Executive Director of SignFromGod.org and the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. Both are educational donor-supported ministries dedicated to building a permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. Visit the life-sized Shroud replica in D.C. Contact: MyraAdams01@gmail.com.
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