God’s faithfulness | Robert & Kay Camenisch

I have been distracted and busy with health issues and moving. I finally have another post because as I read Psalm 27 this morning, I was struck once again at how timely the Word of God is. I’m blessed with how David’s words are so fitting for today. I hope it’s a blessing to you too–and that I’ll be more faithful to get my thoughts posted in the future. Bless you!

David, a man after God’s own heart, faced great troubles in his life. When he was young, King Saul and his army tried to kill David. In his latter days, a son opposed him and sought to take the throne. David was specifically chosen as a target for destruction. He knew hard times.

Psalm 27 was apparently written during one of these seasons, but it is written from a place of faith and of hope. David began the Psalm with “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?”.

He closes the Psalm with another reminder to himself. “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say on the Lord.” (Ps. 27:14)

Why would David speak of courage and having his heart strengthened unless he was anxious, even afraid. Today, anxiety and fear are high as the whole world is virtually helpless in the midst of the onslaught on our health and economy. No clear solutions are evident. Like David, many of us lack courage. We need for our hearts to be strengthened.

Whether it’s health, finances, relational issues, or other stresses, when we are out of control, feel threatened and the future is unknown, we often feel helpless, leading to anxiety and fear. We can learn from David how to obtain courage in the midst of trials and uncertainty.

David discloses insight into the source of his stress in verses 2 and 3. He mentions the wicked coming against him “to eat up my flesh,” and the army encamping against him. But his confident response is, “My heart shall not fear.”

His confidence seems to grow from seeing God’s faithfulness in the past, and his resolute focus on the Lord.

David moves immediately to the source of peace, beginning in verse 4.

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek:” (v.4) David’s desire, his purpose and goal, the thing he sought was to dwell in the house of the Lord—to be intimate with God, to be dependent on Him for all things needful.
(2) “To behold the beauty of the Lord” (v. 4) Can you see David sitting at God’s feet, resting in His beauty of goodness and faithfulness.
“And to inquire in His temple” (v. 4) The temple is a place of worship, praise, and learning of God and His ways. David grew in confidence as He learned o f the workings of God.

Why were these the things that David desired and sought? Why was dwelling in the temple in fellowship with God his goal when in the midst of stress? David tells us. He said:

“For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion, in the secret place of His tabernacle” (v. 5). A pavilion is a place of safety. A secret place is an intimate place. Only the closest friends know of it.
“He shall hide me;” (v. 5) We need to be hidden, to be tucked away from the enemy’s taunts and lies, even when an army is not chasing us.
“He shall set me high on a rock.” (v.5) High, above the fray, above the enemy, seeing beyond the immediate.
“And now my head shall be lifted (as in honor) above my enemies all around me” (v. 6) The Lord will vindicate in His time. We can rest in Him.
“Therefore I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (v. 6) In the midst of the storm, confidence of God’s love and faithfulness leads to a heart filled with praise, not anxiety and fear.

David is confident, but he also knows his weaknesses. The next verses are revealing. They show David’s awareness of his neediness, his abject poverty in the midst of trials. They also reveal that David knows where his help comes from.

“Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!” (v. 7) When the days of trial seem unending, how often do we wonder if God hears our prayers?
“Have mercy also upon me and answer me.” (v. 7.) Don’t we always need mercy?
“When you said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’” (v. 8) We are to seek first the kingdom of God—always, but specially during trials. Are we seeking a solution, or His face?
“Do not hide Your face from me;” (v. 9) When the Lord doesn’t answer when we expect Him too, it can feel like He’s turned His back on us, can’t it?
“Do not turn Your servant away in anger;” (v.9) When we question God’s goodness and love, we need to be honest with ourselves and with God.
“You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.” (v. 9) David was apparently very low. He needed to be reminded where his help came from.
“When my father and my mother forsake me. Then the Lord will take care of me.” (v. 10). Sometimes the reminder needs to be repeated. We need constant reminders of God’s love, goodness, and faithfulness.
Teach me your way, O Lord,” (v.11) His ways are not our ways—or ours His. We need to be taught His ways, and to trust Him as we learn.
“And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.” (v. 11) Even when our enemy is an invisible little virus, don’t we desire a smooth path through to the other side?
“Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence.” (v. 12) David had two-legged adversaries, but many have experienced violence, devastation, and loss from our invisible enemy, COVID-19.

David’s list of supplications is much longer than the other parts of this conversation with God. Many people don’t pray for themselves because they feel it’s self-centered, but David thought otherwise. When we’re anxious or afraid, our needs are real. We need His salvation.

Not only are the needs real, but God delights in meeting them. He promised to never leave us and is waiting for us to ask.

David’s next words give comfort and direction for when we want to give up. Comfort, because it confirms that we’re not alone. David had similar struggles. Direction, because it shows us where we need to turn our eyes and heart.

David said, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” When we’ve lost heart, we need to ask the Lord to open our eyes to His goodness.

If we are anxious or fearful during this time, we can learn from David how to cope. He closes with “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (v. 14).

The Lord is faithful, and we can be of good courage knowing that He will strengthen our hearts as we wait on Him.

“Looking back gives you regrets. Looking ahead gives you opportunities.” At least that’s what a Facebook quote says, and it’s hard to argue. Indeed, how often do we miss opportunities of the moment because we’re focused on regrets of the past?

Someone else said, “You can’t move forward in life if you’re always looking back.” That’s true too. However, backwards looks aren’t always filled with regret, and few of us are “always” looking back.

I’ve recently realized that looking back can also yield great rewards.

While cleaning out boxes from storage, I ran across several calendars from past years. I had saved them because the days were filled with significant events from that particular calendar year. I kept them for the record of meaningful history.

I revisited a year from my teens and was reminded of the many hours I spent baby-sitting—often three or four times in a week. I recalled families I hadn’t thought of for years and realized how much my own parenting was shaped by the things I learned as I cared for their children.

Regret? My heart was warmed with memories and gratefulness.

A seminary-days calendar reminded me of the joy of living in seminary housing, sharing life with people who had similar hopes and challenges–and with children the same ages as ours. It also brought to mind God’s faithfulness to provide for us when we stepped out in faith to obey His call.

When we had four children in school, the calendar reminded me of a time when life was filled ball games, special projects, volunteer commitments, and the need to take snacks to school. I wonder how I did it all. And yet, in the midst of the busyness, we frequently had company for meals.

I question, “What’s wrong with you now?” and am challenged to gather friends around my table more often.

There were many more reminders and blessings as I thumbed through the years, made note of the benchmark events, and threw the calendars away. I don’t recall any regrets, except maybe that I didn’t make more detailed notes. It was refreshing to look back.

Then Robert and I took a trip to Letcher County in eastern Kentucky where I lived in the 5^th through 7^th grades. I moved from the Atlanta area to the middle of Appalachia and thought I had landed at the end of the world.

We lived on the campus of Stuart Robinson School, a boarding school, with the county school meeting on the campus. The first weeks, we stayed in the Teacherage while our house was being remodeled for us.

The campus is now called Calvary Campus and is a ministry center for the area. They have suites available, and we were able to stay on campus, in a suite in the Teacherage. It’s totally remodeled, but I stayed on the same floor that had been my introduction to life at Stuart Robinson.

I’m sure Robert got tired of me saying, “This is where . . .” as we toured the campus and I recalled events from my past. But I only told him a fraction of the things that came to mind.

We went to Blackey, just down the road, because we’d heard that the librarians knew everybody and could tell us who was still in the area. One of the librarians is married to one of my classmates. The other had been a good friend when I lived there. She lives in the house she lived in then and still goes to the church we both attended.

As I drove away from the campus, I remembered how I cried, broken-hearted when we moved back to the Atlanta area. It was good to look back and be reminded how the Lord used a “move to the end of the world” to shape and mold me for good.

One more saying about looking back is, “Don’t look back—you’re not going that way.” Once again, I can’t disagree. And yet, there is another side of the issue.

I think we all need to make the time to stop and look back. It gives perspective, revealing God’s faithfulness to be with us, give grace, and cause all things to work together for good.

Knowing where you’ve been can help you see more clearly where you are going. Looking back enriches today and builds faith for the road ahead.

Robert & Kay Camenisch encouraging and equipping relationships

Finding Courage in Trying Times

Looking Back