..Lead Me In A Plain / Smooth Path..

Psalm 27 is one of my favorite Psalms.. It guides me in my pilgrimage of faith and I'm happy to share this guiding influence in our coaching journey together as well..

In this Psalm of David; he seems to have figured out the formula of a Believer's Daily Walk..

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?

Every Believer's journey begins with the revelation of our own darkness and His revealing, healing and all consuming Light. When we discover that The Creator of the universe is our very life's salvation and strength; there is nothing more fearful, yet, more safe than HE. (Matthew 10:27-31)

2 When the wicked came against me

To eat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

Remembering past deliverances and acknowledging where God has brought us from shows a humbled, grateful heart and honors God. Counting our blessings and recounting the power of God in our life can also be Inspiring and a powerful motivator.

3 Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.

Jesus says in John 16:33 to "Take Courage". Encouraging ourselves begins with the Inspiration of what God has already done. But then, moves into bold declarations of Right Now. The Believer must speak by faith - the confidence we have in our experiences with God. Just as David did, we can guide our tongue with precision as we proclaim a vision of Today and Tomorrow..

4 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 David, this was an actual place containing the elements of worship and the very presence of God. For today's Believer, that place is as close as our own heart. Paul says in 1Corinthians 3:16 - "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

Our first Love and desire needs to be our intimate relationship with The Father..

5 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.

We seek this intimate relationship with Him, because there Will be times of trouble; And when trouble comes - we will need a hiding place. A good study of the Tabernacle/Temple will give you insight to all it's wonderous mysteries. We are hidden in the provisions of His Light, His fellowship, His Intercession.. Protected in His very presence..

"..upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it." The 'rock' Jesus mentions in Matthew 16:18 is 'The Revelation of Who Christ Is'..

6 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.

Father-God sets us high upon this rock - giving us a vantage-point so as not to be taken advantage of by the enemy;

And Because of ALL of the afore mentioned - His salvation, strength and power; the many provisions and protections He gives us - We will rejoice and sing His praises. Even during the troubles - We know where our Help comes from - Therefore, we will exalt Him! (Psalm 121:1-2)

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

And Now the asking begins.. Notice that David did not ask amiss (James 4:3). He did not approach God irreverently with a wish list. He approached God with a humble heart and gratitude. He acknowledged His Majesty - and even more, their personal relationship. David offered a gift of joy and praise - And Then, began the asking..

8 When You said, “Seek My face,”

My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

When petitioning God - Ask ourselves - "Have we, up to this point, listened to His instructions and followed them"? Are we seeking His face and not just His hand?

9 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.

Pleading is an emotional appeal made in urgent or desperate earnest. I believe when our hearts are so vulnerably poured out - This is where we Really connect with God's heart.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me,

Then the Lord will take care of me.

Even when those closest to us let us down, walk away or worse - God is always for us. No one can separate us from His love (Romans8:35-39) nor pluck us from His hand. (John 10:28)

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,

And lead me in a smooth, plain path, because of my enemies.

As Followers of Jesus/Yeshua, we are not setting out to find "our own way" in life - We are setting out to find 'HIS Way'. The path is sure to be smoother with The Word as our Lamp & Light (Psalm 119:105) and Holy Spirit as our Guide (John 16:13)

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

For false witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence.

Why do we learn HIS way? Why do we seek a plain path? Because, there Are enemies.. Spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12) - that wish to stop our progress.. that wish to make His Way unclear.. Enemies that tell us 'we are anything but' what Abba says we are..

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

Believe that God is FOR you - Not against you - And that He wants that goodness for you Now in This life! Faith, Hope and Rejoicing are not just for the next life..

Think of The Fruit of The Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26).. It is not something we are told to bear for The Kingdom to come, But for The Kingdom currently within us (Luke 17:21) Expect His goodness Today..

14 Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

One of the characteristics of Fruit of The Spirit is patience/longsuffering.. Sometimes we get anxious and try to Make things happen in or own power.. The Psalmist, David knows all to well about this as evidenced in the story of Uzzah in 2Samuel 6:1-7. Seeking God first and waiting on Him would have cost David and the Nation of Israel so much less.

It can be hard when we don't see the whole plan.. There's an old song by Babbie Mason: "When You Can't Trace His Hand; Trust His Heart".

We must trust not only God's decision - But His timing.. Trust God's courage and His strength when ours is lacking.. Trust His heart with all our heart..

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths...