I Declare!
These days in which we are living are anything but easy. If you spend any time on social media, watch the news, or even listen to radio commercials you hear about the chaos surrounding us. The destruction and devastation from storms, earthquakes, and/or wildfires are devastating. I’m sure we all know someone or have been affected by a difficult situation ourselves in recent days.
I recently found myself in Psalm 27. Vulnerably in a state of an anxious heart and the enemy of worry and fear was much closer than I would like. Because of circumstances outside of my control, I felt uneasy and nervous. Perhaps you understand similar feelings or emotions. Notice I said the circumstances were out of my control.
Reading Psalm 27, I felt as if God swept me up into His arms and for the first time in a long time, I felt one hundred percent calm and secure. In my Bible, this passage is marked as an “exuberant declaration of faith.” Read along with me. These verses are taken from the New King James Version.
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 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.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “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 help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.
Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
From the first verse to the last verse, the strength of the Lord God is mentioned. Fear is not welcome! The psalmist recognizes God’s goodness, no matter what circumstance may arise. I couldn’t help but feel emotional when I got to verse thirteen. The psalmist was confident of one thing - God’s goodness.
I’m not sure about you but when tough times hit, as they often do, my first inclination is not to see anything good. I hate to say it, but I have to be honest. As I have read this psalm over and over now, I realize that I’ve got to be zoned into the positive, no matter the circumstances that are set up around me.
Not only do I need to be zoned into the positive, but I need to declare God’s goodness. I have learned that the more I proclaim God’s goodness, the less I give the enemy a foothold. I don’t want the enemy to have any hold on my life and I don’t want to give him any access points either. To be anxious or fearful are two of my killer access points. The enemy does so much damage here in my life.
In Numbers 23, we read that our God is not a God who lies, and He is not One who changes His mind based on the crowd or circumstances. This gives me courage. It gives me peace when so many things around me seem uncertain. The fact that my God is good, and I can choose to see pieces of His goodness every day. I can declare it with everything I have. With every declaration, I believe the enemy runs further and further away. I don’t know about you, but I need the enemy to hit the road.
This is the same goodness the psalmist mentions in Psalm 27:13. I’m finding with each passing day, I’m having to give up a little more control. But it is worth the work.
You can declare God’s goodness anytime day or night. It doesn’t matter your location. It can be public or private. I have found Hope in declaring God’s goodness through worship and I’ve included a couple of songs below that have softened my heart to see God’s goodness all around me. You may find it outside on a walk or with a group of friends on a Friday night.
Be challenged to give God praise. He is up to something in your life today. You may be so overwhelmed and exhausted that it may be hard to see any good but try. God doesn’t waver and He’s started stirring something inside of you. He will make sure it is completed. His words are always, always true. Today, tomorrow, and forever.
