Welcome back to day two of our Bible study, where we walk through some of the Psalms together and not just any Psalms but some of the Psalms where David talks about how he overcomes fear and my hope is that as we all engage these amazing verses together, that we will start to really understand what it takes to overcome fear.  So as we look at David’s heart coming out in these beautiful Psalms, remember, David dealt with some incredibly scary moments, and we really built this whole teaching off of a line from a really challenging moment of David’s life.  Do you remember the line?  It’s in this one sentence where we can really understand the key to overcoming fear.

1 Samuel 30:7 But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. ESV

The key to overcoming fear is surrendering your life to God.  It’s seeking God first.  It’s coming to Jesus to find peace.  It’s taking all of our stress and worry to him as Paul encouraged us to do.  It’s going to God who is love who casts out all fear.  It’s exactly why David could press on in the face of this terrible moment…because David strengthened himself in the Lord.

So overcoming fear isn’t about David’s personality.  It isn’t his circumstances.  It isn’t his IQ score.  He can overcome fear because of what he turns to when he is afraid, and it will once again clearly come out in today’s passage.  Today we study the first 5 verses of Psalm 27, another David Psalm.  So go ahead and grab your Bible, maybe something to write with and let’s walk through this powerful Psalm together and today we will look at it both in the NIV and the Message version.

Psalms 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. 4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.  NIV

This is a great one, and I want you to walk through this slowly.  Let the Scriptures all the way into your heart.  I love studying the same scripture in different versions, I think the Message is special here…

Psalms 27:1 Light, space, zest — that’s God!  So, with him on my side I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. 2 When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. 3 When besieged, I’m calm as a baby.  When all hell breaks loose, I’m collected and cool. 4 I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long.  I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet. 5 That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. MSG

I want you to see David’s heart and relationship with God on full display here.  This is a man fully surrendered to His Heavenly Father, a man who is after God’s own heart.  Think through that.  Now I would like to ask you some questions, so again today take the time to reflect intentionally on this Psalm and these questions.

• What is your favorite verse in Psalm 27? 
• What can you take from this passage as you walk through fear and difficulty in my own life?
• Why does David say he has nothing to fear?  The reality is that he still deals with so many scary moments as a King, and Warrior, and Leader so why does he have nothing to fear?
• What is David’s greatest desire?

Before you move on from this moment, take some time and pray, talk to your Heavenly Father about what it looks like to turn to God, and to find strength in Him.

Remember these Psalms are a glimpse into David’s heart and his relationship with God.  He lived a surrendered life, not a perfect life, and we know he is a man who strengthened himself in the Lord.  We want to be people who strengthen ourselves in the Lord, people who turn to God in the difficult and anxious moments of our lives.  Please continue to reflect on this idea throughout your day.  What does it look like to strengthen yourself in the Lord?  When you look at your own life what is it that you turn to in the challenging moments when you feel fear?  Identify it, because you are turning to something and if it isn’t God who is that perfect love that drives out fear…you will not overcome fear.