When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: 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 place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
—Psalm 27:2–5
David was a man who knew about war; he knew what it was like to have enemies without and within, to face times of trouble and to be outnumbered. David also knew about being confident and not troubled during such times. In this passage from Psalm 27, David laid out his battle strategy and said it all hinged on one thing. Then he listed four components of the one thing: (1) seek the Lord, (2) dwell in His house, (3) behold His beauty, and (4) inquire in His temple.
What David is saying here is crucial for us today, though the words are three thousand years old. David is telling us to take time to commune with the Lord, no matter what is going on around us. We must set aside time just for the two of us. To seek Him, dwell with Him, behold His beauty, inquire of Him—this will keep us in times of trouble. David is saying to stick close and not allow the times when we need Him the most to become the times when we seek Him the least.
The Hebrew word seek used here means “to search out through worship and prayer”; the word dwell means “to remain or tarry”; behold means “to contemplate” or “to gaze at mentally”; and inquire means “to plow” or “to break forth.” With this understanding, we might well summarize David as saying, “When times of trouble come, search out the Lord through worship and prayer and remain in a mind-set of worship and prayer until you break forth.” This instruction is then followed by a promise of being hidden in His pavilion, a word that means “tabernacle.” We are kept in the secret place of His tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, and He will set us on a high rock.
All these things are pictures of Jesus Christ as our refuge and strength. He “tabernacled” among us (John 1:14), He is the entrance into the Most Holy Place (Heb. 10:19), and He is our rock (1 Cor. 10:4). So in other words, in times of trouble, stay focused on Jesus, for He will get you through.
Tell someone about His impact on your life today. Share how He has sustained and strengthened you and that He longs to do that for them too!
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