I see a man in his thirties with his head buried in his hands. Someone said that God never gives a person more than he can handle and yet this man…his emotions are swirling like someone taking a spoon and stirring a pot of soup. He inwardly fights back so hard to just blatantly say what is truly in his heart and defend himself because the things he could say—whether true and accurate or incorrect to a point—could ruin any of the breaks and credibility he’s earned with those against/over him or at the least what he could say would not defend him well enough. He wants to flow an open sewer pipe of profanity to express his frustration and yet what good would it do and anyway it would hurt his testimony as a Christian. So all he can do is to remain silent—head down, mouth shut. He wants to hit someone or more so something and yet that would not solve anything. He is so upset, angry, and hurt he’s crying and yet his heart is racing like the vehicle he sped home. It seems like any time that ground is gained, it is all taken back. Although family exists, this man sadly must bear the burden alone. He desires to offload or at least ask for help…but it always seems to be HIS burden alone to carry. Nothing he could do will remedy or make any of it better…and that is even more frustrating just knowing that. Tears sting his eyes. His teeth and fists are clinched. Does this person sound like you? Is this person me?
This is the place we find David in Psalm 27. Like a man half-crazed or insane he, nonetheless, turned his gaze to heaven and cried out that God is his strength of life. He realized that his life was not his own, and neither is ours. It may seem the end for great people like David, Jeremiah, Paul, and perhaps you or I but Jesus reminded us to not worry about the person who can kill the body but fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Did Daniel feel alone and forgotten while in the lion’s den? Did Joseph feel alone while as a slave or in prison for a crime he didn’t commit? Did David feel alone—the only one to bear the burden—with an insane and wicked king and his army pursuing him? Did Paul feel alone the times he sat in a cell or in a heap after being pelted by rocks until almost dead? Did Jesus feel alone while praying in Gethsemane? Did John feel alone while on Patmos?
Taking up John, Revelation records that John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. While standing there with everything swirling round about him to destroy him, his name, his message of his Lord, etc., John felt the staying hand of God upon his beaten life. David, when he approached Ziklag as the Bible records in 1 Samuel 30, felt at a loss and while standing on the ledge examining the whole situation and all of his faithful men turned against him and vowed to kill David with stones. But the end of verse six said, “David [strengthened/encouraged] himself in the LORD his God.” Someone once said that there is no better place than to be in the middle of God’s will except maybe in His presence as Psalm 27:4-8 encourages.
When does the sting hurt worse? Perhaps when feeling more alone because of the ones closest to us are not there—by choice or by circumstance. Job knew this when his wife told him to curse God and die (see Job 2:9). David lamented it in Psalm 55:12-13. Jesus felt it when He was forsaken by His disciples in Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:56 and Mark 14:50). Paul felt this overwhelming blow both because of circumstances and those who had been close to him and left him (see 2 Timothy 1:15 and 4:16). And perhaps we feel that way to by those who are the closest to us (see comparison to Psalm 27:10).
I see, now, this same 30-something aged man back in his early twenties and single racing off to force a good time. Everyone was partnered off or off with family doing their thing over a holiday and this young man finds himself alone. And off he races to a “fun” place and yet the only One there with him…to watch him race around a miniature golf course and around a go-kart track was Jesus (see the end of verse 10 of Psalm 27) wanting and waiting to put His loving arms around him as His tears fall in love and assurance that he is not alone...this young man is not forgotten or unloved.
And all Job, David, Joseph, Jeremiah, Abraham, Job, Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, John the Baptist, etc. could do was, “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:10). And this is all you and I can do. Wait means to trust, let go, but still serve and remain faithful. We need to have courage that we are doing the right thing or more specifically doing what He desires or His will. And because of our dogged determination, like Stephen while preaching and when being stoned, his heart was strengthened in the Lord, we can have a steely resolve in Jesus because we need to WAIT on the Lord. Will we wait?