Psalms: Lesson 8
Overview
Psalms of Hope, Joy, and Peace
We often turn to Scripture when life feels heavy, looking for words to lift us out of sorrow, anxiety, or anger. But God's Word also speaks to us in our brighter seasons—when we are already comforted, content, and lifted up. Happiness is circumstantial, but joy in the Lord runs deeper, and the Psalms invite us into that joy whether the day is hard or glad.
Psalms of Hope
Hope is not merely something we reach for in despair; it is a settled assurance we can rest in at all times. Psalm 27:1 declares, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" When the news cycle, political tensions, and the world's hostility tempt us toward hopelessness, this verse reorients us. There is real, circumstantial fear—the car barreling down the road—but no eternal fear, because the Lord is our stronghold. Psalm 27:13-14 calls us to wait on the Lord and take courage, while Psalm 37:1-6 reminds us to commit our way to Him and trust that He will act. To "delight in the Lord" is not a formula for getting our wishes granted; it shapes our hearts so that His will becomes our deepest desire.
Psalm 51:10-12 is hope at its most personal. David, guilty of adultery and murder, prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God." We cannot manufacture clean hearts in ourselves—but God can and does. As Ezekiel promises, He replaces hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. Psalm 34:17-20 and Psalm 62:5-6 extend this hope further: the Lord hears the cries of the righteous (made righteous through Christ's blood) and stands as our rock and fortress. Corrie ten Boom and her sister clung to such words in the concentration camps—proof that the Lord's strength sustains even where hope seems most impossible.
Psalms of Joy
Joy, like hope, is not bound to circumstances. Psalm 4:7-8 speaks of joy in hard times—God puts gladness in our hearts even when grain and wine are scarce. Psalm 16:8-11 anchors joy in the Lord's provision; because Christ was not abandoned to the grave, we trust that the Father who clothes the lilies and feeds the sparrows will provide what we truly need. Psalm 97:9-12 finds joy in His justice—not relishing the downfall of others, but trusting that in the fullness of time, the Lord's justice will be complete. Psalm 100 bursts with joy in His steadfast love: we are His people, the sheep of His pasture, and as Jesus reminds us, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." Finally, Psalm 118:21-29 celebrates joy in our redemption—Christ the rejected stone is now the cornerstone, and the day of our salvation is the day the Lord has made.
Psalms of Peace
Peace flows from waiting on a God who is already at work. Psalm 40:1-3 pictures the Lord drawing us up from the miry bog and setting our feet upon a rock. When it seems He is silent, He is still acting in His perfect timing. Psalm 119:165 promises great peace to those who love His law—the calm of a life lived in line with the Lord. And Psalm 121 assures us that our Keeper neither slumbers nor sleeps. We cannot watch over our loved ones every hour of every day, but the Lord can and does. He walks with us, with those we love, and with His whole people—always.
A Word for Every Season
Across hope, joy, and peace, the Psalms keep returning us to the same starting and ending point: God Himself, the Alpha and the Omega. Whatever your week holds—grief, gladness, restlessness, or rest—turn to the Psalms. They will not flatter your circumstances, but they will steady your soul in the One whose steadfast love endures forever.
Transcript
Heavenly Lord, we thank You so much for Your grace. 3s
We thank You so much for Your Word and we thank You so much for letting us know You through 6s
Your Word. 12s
We ask that You would bless this time of study, that You would continue to bless the many 13s
relationships that You have formed and created here in this congregation, and that You would 18s
continue to grow Your kingdom using us, how You would please and guiding us all to You in 25s
the eternal. 34s
We thank You so much for being the God that You are and we ask that You would bless us 35s
today and always in the name of Jesus Christ. 40s
Amen. 43s
Okay. 44s
So, we are going to emote again today, but we get to emote fun stuff. 45s
We get to be happy and actually thinking about emotions, talking about emotions, so often 52s
when we want to turn to God's Word, when we are thinking, okay, what does God have to 64s
say about this? 70s
We are more involved with the emotions we talked about last week, where we're angry, 71s
where we have stress or anxiety or we're saddened, and we don't necessarily consider, 77s
I am in such a great mood, I am so blessed, I want to see what God's Word has to say about 86s
that, but we turn to God's Word to lift us up, which is good and right, and we should 93s
do that. 99s
But we also are called to turn to the Word of the Lord when we are already lifted up 100s
and comforted and happy, and we know that we talk about this, I know Pastor Ebblyn, I 106s
have both talked about this before, that happiness is circumstantial and we can still have joy 114s
even when we're not happy, but what about having joy when we are happy? 121s
And so that's what we're going to talk about today. 127s
So we're going to go ahead and we're going to start with with souls of hope, with 130s
Psalms of hope. 137s
We know that our hope is in the Lord always, we know that, you know, if we if we step back 138s
and look at our lives, when we are down, when we are in sorrow, we know that we can turn 145s
to the Lord and to His Word for hope, but we can also sit and rest in the hope, in the 152s
assurance that we have in the Lord. 160s
So even when we are not facing difficult times, we can still turn to the Lord and find 163s
that affirmation and that that that insurance that, yeah, I should be filled with joy because 171s
I do have the Lord and I have His Word to tell me exactly how I have Him. 181s
So let's go ahead and open to Psalm 27. 187s
Psalm 27. 192s
And we're going to start, and this, I wasn't planning on this, but I am doing this, we're 199s
going to start with the first verse of Psalm 27. 205s
Where David writes, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Lord is my light and my 210s
salvation. 216s
Whom shall I fear? 217s
The Lord is the stronghold of my life. 219s
Of whom shall I be afraid? 222s
And I want to start with that one because the world in which we live today, when we focus or 224s
think about our surroundings in the larger context. 233s
We can find ourselves spiraling out of control and finding ourselves turned to a hopelessness 238s
because if we are turning continually to the news channels, if we are continually turning 247s
to what we see happening in various aspects of life, we're in an election year, you know, 254s
I mean, there's just a lot of hurt, a lot of animosity. 264s
And so we find ourselves, if we focus solely in the word of the world, we find ourselves 268s
falling out of hope, the hope that we have, and we find ourselves being drawn into a hopelessness. 278s
So I want to start with that first verse because we know that the Lord is our light. 285s
We know that the Lord is our salvation. 292s
There's nothing, nothing for us to fear. 296s
Yes, if a car is racing down the road toward us and we're not moving, we should have fear, 301s
right? 309s
There is legit fear in that sort of way. 309s
That's a circumstantial fear. 314s
But we don't have to fear that if that road or if that car is barreling down the road and we stand there, 317s
which please don't do that, don't stand in the middle of a road anyway. 324s
But, you know, we don't fear in the eternal because we know that the Lord is our salvation. 329s
Does that make, right? 338s
I mean, that makes sense. 339s
Yes, I know it makes sense. 339s
Okay. 340s
So we have nothing to be afraid of. 341s
We have nothing that we should be called into this state of fear or hopelessness or paralyzed 345s
in not knowing which way to turn because we know that the Lord is our stronghold. 356s
We know that the Lord holds us in his hand. 361s
We know that the Lord is with us always and his good and perfect will is with us. 364s
Always. 370s
So continuing with Psalms of Hope, we're going to stay in Psalm 27. 372s
Let's go down to verses 13 and 14 where David writes, 376s
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 383s
Wait for the Lord. 389s
Be strong and let your heart take courage. 390s
Wait for the Lord. 393s
This is these are words of great hope, 395s
especially when we are in those seasons of feeling hopeless. 399s
When we feel hopeless, we have God's word here telling us that that we will see, 405s
we will see the goodness of the Lord that we will wait on the Lord. 412s
He is our strength. 418s
He is our stronghold. 419s
Wait for the Lord and it's that that encouragement to sit to stay steadfast in the Lord and to trust. 421s
So if we are already in a state of, you know, assurance and confidence knowing exactly who the Lord is, 430s
this is still a Psalm of Hope because it's reminding us and it's keeping us centered and focused on who our hope is and where our hope lies. 440s
And so these verses, these verses are a beautiful way for us to remember the strength and the courage that we have not in and of ourselves, 451s
but in God and in who He is, who He is as God and who He is as our Lord and Savior. 462s
Another Psalm of Hope. 473s
Let's go over to Psalm 37. 474s
Psalm 37. 481s
We're going to, to read through verses one through six. 483s
Do not fret because of the wicked. 490s
Do not be envious of wrongdoers. 493s
Oh, remember we talked about that one last week for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 495s
Trust in the Lord and do good. 502s
So you will live in the land and enjoy security. 504s
Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. 508s
Commit your way to the Lord. 512s
Trust in Him and He will act. 514s
He will make your vindication shine like the light and the justice of your cause like the noon day. 516s
I want to, I want to really highlight here both verses four and five, 522s
four because it says take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. 529s
That does not mean that God is a genie. 535s
It does not mean that, that we, we wish something and it will be, 538s
but keeping this in line and in conjunction with how Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord's prayer, 545s
where we're praying that God's will is done. 552s
Then we know that if things are done according to His will, which they are, 555s
then we can trust that. 562s
And really the desire of our heart should be that we, 564s
we want for God's will to be done and that we trust His will in our lives. 569s
Right? 576s
So and commit your way. 577s
This is verse five. 579s
Commit your way to the Lord. 579s
Trust in Him and He will act. 581s
I think this is a beautiful word for, for whole because again, 584s
it's getting us out of our own mind. 589s
It's getting us out of our own ways. 593s
It's, it's committing to the Lord trusting in Him, 596s
trusting that He will act as He promises. 600s
We know that God is not a God that sits back and just watches things happen, 604s
but that God is actively and intimately involved in each and every one of our lives. 611s
And so we can trust Him and that gives us hope because God knows more than we do. 618s
God knows outside of space and time. 628s
And so our hope is safely placed in Him 632s
because we have these tiny little flippers of life just in our own small existence 635s
in all of the universe. 644s
Think about in all of time, you know, we are teeny tiny and God knows all. 647s
And so we, we rest knowing and trusting that He will indeed act. 654s
Let's go over to Psalm 51. 660s
Psalm 51 versus 10 through 12. 665s
And of course, this is, this is, this is my, I think this is officially my favorite verse. 674s
I know. Okay. 681s
So I have a lot of favorites. 683s
Someone, someone just commented on that. 685s
She said, I was watching some videos you do. 688s
You, you say you have a lot of favorites. 690s
I do, but this I think officially is my favorite. 691s
Probably. 694s
So verse 10, 695s
create in me a clean heart, oh God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 699s
Do not pass me away from your presence. 704s
Do not take your Holy Spirit from me. 706s
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain in me a willing spirit. 708s
Okay. 717s
So I'm going to, I'm going to back up a little bit and tell you why this is, 717s
why this is such a beautiful word of hope and why this is my favorite. 723s
So we're tangenting slightly. 727s
So if you go to first John chapter three, 731s
verse 15, and this should, should be familiar with you. 738s
We, we just had it in a sermon, Pastor Ibel had it in a sermon just a couple of weeks ago. 743s
Um, 748s
where John wrote, all who hate a brother or sister are murderers. 750s
And you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. 756s
So I bring that up because at one point in my life, I read that 761s
and the Lord convicted me hard core on that one. 768s
It was one of those times where 773s
um, it was just being brought to my knees, right? 775s
Um, convicted and at the same time, the Lord also brought me to Psalm 51, 780s
verse 10, 788s
creating me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me, 790s
creating me a clean heart. 794s
And it's so hope filled because it is the promise 795s
that we are not creating the clean heart in ourselves. 801s
We can't do that. 807s
But it's that imperative do this because we know that God will indeed 809s
create a clean heart in us. 816s
This was written when, uh, when David had, um, had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 819s
And when he had orchestrated the murder of her husband and he had 826s
set into motion a cover up. 835s
And so, so he was, he was literally a murderer. 838s
He was literally an adulterer. 844s
He was literally the lowest of low sinners of what we would consider 846s
low, bad, terrible sin. 851s
And yet here he confesses and he's not only confessing, 856s
but he's saying do this for me, Lord. 861s
And he knows that he can say, create me a clean heart, Lord, 864s
because he knows the Lord can and will do it. 868s
And so this is a word of hope because we know, 875s
we know that the Lord will not cast us away from his present. 880s
We know that the Lord will not turn his face from us, 883s
that he will not keep his Holy Spirit from us when we are turning to him. 888s
And asking for forgiveness, we are promised. 894s
We are promised that the Lord will remember our sin no more, 898s
that he won't deal with us according to our equities, 903s
according to our transgressions, 907s
but that he deals with us according to his steadfast love and faithfulness. 909s
And so we find hope that God will indeed create in us a clean heart. 915s
He promises through the prophet Ezekiel that he will take our flat, 923s
our heart of stone and turn it to a heart of flesh. 927s
He does create in us new hearts, clean hearts. 930s
He puts his Spirit within us. 935s
So we no longer live in the Spirit of the flesh, 938s
but we get to live in the Spirit of the Lord. 942s
So that is a beautiful word of hope for us. 948s
Let's go, oh, I thought I had this in order. 952s
Let's go back to Psalm 34, Psalm 34, 955s
verses 17 through 20. 964s
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. 972s
The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in Spirit. 979s
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, 984s
but the Lord rescues them from them all. 986s
He keeps all their bones, not one of them will be broken. 989s
We know that this is a promise, a foretelling of not allowing for Christ, 993s
the only righteous one to live to walk this sight of heaven. 1001s
His bones were not broken. 1006s
But look at those first couple of verses we read, 17 and 18, 1008s
when the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. 1012s
The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in Spirit. 1017s
We are made righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ. 1023s
And so we are promised when we cry to the Lord, he hears us. 1027s
That brings us hope because even when we don't know what the outcome is, 1032s
when we don't know what the will of the Lord is, 1040s
we know that when we cry out to Him, He hears us. 1043s
We know that we are not crying out to a vastness or to avoid, 1048s
but that we are crying out to the God, 1053s
who is intimate with us, who knows us better than we know ourselves, 1057s
who knows, remember the whole big picture. 1062s
We are crying out to the Lord who loves us so much that He gave His only Son 1066s
so that we would be counted as righteous. 1071s
We find hope in these verses because we find that promise of the Lord 1076s
that He is with us, that He hears us, and that He indeed does answer us. 1082s
Let's go to Psalm 62. 1089s
Psalm 62. 1095s
That verses five through six. 1102s
For God alone, my soul waits in silence for my hope is from Him. 1107s
He alone is my rock and my salvation. 1113s
My fortress, I shall not be shaken. 1116s
This word of hope is really, really beautiful. 1119s
It brings to mind that strength that is in the Lord, 1124s
that He is our rock, He is our fortress. 1130s
Cory Tenbaum, I think believe it was Psalm 32, 1134s
that she would read in the barracks, 1137s
but very similar to this, 1141s
when she and her sister were ministering to people in the concentration camps 1144s
to other women in the concentration camps, 1149s
they would consistently come to that word that God is the stronghold. 1151s
God is our fortress because when everything else was crumbling around them, 1156s
the strength of the Lord was getting the women through each day, day by day. 1164s
And I don't think there could be a more hopeless situation than finding oneself 1171s
in a concentration camp. 1175s
That's a very hopeless situation. 1177s
And yet, yet turning to God's word, turning to verses of hope, 1180s
was something that continued to keep these women, women strengthened 1186s
and focused on where their true strength and their true hope lies. 1191s
And it was in the Lord, as in the Lord. 1197s
Okay, so I have a few more for Psalms of hope, 1201s
but we're going to move to Psalms of joy. 1204s
It's amazing when you start searching or looking through the Psalms 1207s
to speak to different aspects of our life. 1212s
How much there is, there is something in the book of Psalms 1217s
for every single season, emotion, time in our lives. 1222s
So we're going to turn to the Psalms to look for Psalms of joy. 1227s
And we're going to start looking for joy during hard times. 1234s
So let's go back to Psalm 4, back to Psalm 4. 1239s
And the whole purpose of the past couple, like last week, this week, 1246s
and then the next couple of weeks, the whole purpose is to find how the Psalms 1252s
our God's word for us in our every day. 1257s
It's the practical aspect of God's word, transforming and forming our lives. 1261s
So we're going to look at verses 7 through 9 in Psalm 4. 1269s
We're looking at joy in the hard times. 1274s
When you are disturbed, do not sin, ponder it on your beds and be silent. 1278s
Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord. 1283s
Just a little tiny break here. 1287s
Offer right sacrifices, thinking about Psalm 51, where David says that 1289s
that bird offerings and sacrifices, God doesn't desire. 1296s
But what he desires is a broken and contrite heart. 1300s
So what we are sacrificing to the Lord is our repentant heart. 1306s
Is our trusting heart, heart, and we're told, put your trust in the Lord. 1312s
There are many who say, oh, that we might see some good. 1316s
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord. 1320s
You have put gladness in my heart more than when they're grain and wine abound. 1323s
So we are seeking, even though we may be in the midst of a difficult season, 1329s
a difficult time, we're seeking that joy because it is the joy of the Lord only 1335s
that we can have and hold in that time. 1341s
Again, that circumstance may not be happy, may not be good, 1345s
but we can still be a people that rest in joy as we ponder and consider 1350s
what the Lord has done and what the Lord is doing and will continue to do in our lives. 1355s
Let's go to Psalm 16. 1363s
Psalm 16, we're going to talk about joy in the Lord's provision. 1366s
Psalm 16 verses 8 through 11. 1373s
I keep the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand. 1379s
I shall not be moved. 1384s
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices. 1386s
My body also rests secure for you do not give me up to shale or let your 1389s
faithful one see the pit. 1393s
Again, this is a foretelling of Christ. 1396s
Did the prophecy of Christ? 1399s
We know that Christ did not remain in hell, did not remain in shale, 1401s
but he lives. 1407s
But this is also a word for us, a word of joy in the Lord's provision 1409s
because he has provided Jesus for our salvation, 1415s
but he provides also, he provides for us. 1420s
When we know that we have the Lord and we have salvation in Christ and Christ alone, 1428s
we know that we have no other need, ultimately. 1435s
And we know as a Christian people, we know that we look to what Jesus said 1440s
when he talked about how the father provides for the sparrows. 1446s
He provides for the lilies of the field. 1452s
He provides for you and I. 1455s
And so we don't worry, but we have joy because we know that all is provided for in God. 1457s
Let's look at Psalm 97. 1466s
Psalm 97. 1470s
We're going to look for joy in his justice. 1472s
It's really funny how there's a lot of overlapping. 1479s
I think about, you know, when we're talking about anger and fear and stress 1483s
and part of that that's lumped in there is that want for justice. 1490s
And so here we're finding joy in his justice. 1497s
So before we go there, does that mean that we get to have joy 1501s
because we see the Lord's smiting those that we would love to be smited? 1506s
No, no, but we know that the Lord is just. 1512s
He is right and he is faithful to us. 1516s
He is faithful to himself. 1519s
So looking at Psalm 97 verses 9 through 12. 1521s
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth. 1529s
You are exalted far above all gods. 1531s
The Lord loves those who hate evil. 1535s
He guards the lives of his faithful. 1537s
He rescues them from the hand of the wicked. 1540s
Light dawns for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart. 1543s
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name. 1547s
He's guarding the faithful. 1553s
He's guarding us. 1557s
He's guarding us from the hand of the wicked. 1560s
Light dawns for the righteous, joy for the upright in heart. 1564s
It's so uplifting to know that we serve the Lord 1569s
who served us through Jesus Christ, 1574s
not because we are above or deserve being served, 1578s
but because he is loving and he is faithful to his promise 1582s
and he is faithful to his people. 1587s
And so we take hope and we have joy knowing that he indeed 1590s
will be exactly who he says he is 1597s
and will continue to reign as he says he will. 1601s
And we know in the fullness of time, 1605s
we know in the fullness of time that his justice, 1608s
his justice will be complete. 1612s
Let's also go to joy in his steadfast love. 1616s
We're just going to go over to Psalm 100. 1622s
So we're not far. 1625s
Psalm 100. 1627s
Joy in his steadfast love beginning in verse 1. 1628s
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth, 1632s
worship the Lord with gladness, 1635s
come into his presence with singing. 1637s
Okay, can I just stop there and say, 1640s
when you read that, you can't not have joy. 1642s
It is so wonderful to hear those words. 1645s
We cannot think of creation singing. 1651s
We can't think of singing praise to the Lord without 1654s
having that joy bubble up in our hearts. 1658s
We continue, in verse 3, 1662s
know that the Lord is God. 1664s
It is he that made us and we are his. 1666s
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. 1669s
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. 1673s
Give thanks to him, bless his name. 1677s
For the Lord is good, his steadfast love and doors forever 1680s
and his faithfulness to all generations. 1684s
It's such an exciting Psalm. 1690s
It's such a beautiful word for us that assurance that the Lord, 1693s
indeed, is God. 1697s
He created us. 1699s
He made us not only were we made as part of his creation, 1700s
but we were made as his own through Jesus Christ. 1705s
We were called through the waters of baptism. 1710s
We are called his own. 1713s
Our gospel reading for today is where Jesus tells his disciples 1715s
that you didn't choose me, but I chose you. 1719s
And that is true for each and every one of us. 1722s
He has chosen us. 1726s
Is there anything better that we could find joy in? 1729s
This is a beautiful and joy-filled word for all of us 1734s
and that he is steadfast in his love 1739s
and steadfast in his promises for us. 1743s
If we go to Psalm 118, 1748s
we're going to talk about joy in our redemption. 1751s
Just knowing that we are redeemed is filled with joy 1756s
or should fill us with joy. 1761s
Joy in our redemption looking at Psalm 118 verses 21 through 25. 1763s
I like that it begins with a thanks to the Lord. 1770s
I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 1775s
The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. 1780s
This is the Lord's doing. 1785s
It is marvelous in our eyes. 1787s
This is the day that the Lord has made. 1789s
Let us rejoice and be glad in us. 1792s
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord. 1795s
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success 1796s
and let's jump down to verses 28 and 29. 1800s
You are my God and I will give thanks to you. 1803s
You are my God, I will extoll you. 1806s
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, 1809s
for his steadfast love and doors forever. 1812s
We have joy in our redemption because we know that it is not our own doing. 1816s
We know that we are not the cornerstone of our faith 1822s
but that Jesus Christ is. 1825s
And last Easter, I'm pretty sure it was last Easter, 1827s
that we had that beautiful sermon from Pastor Eibel on that verse 1831s
that this is the day that the Lord has made. 1835s
Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 1838s
And what it's foretelling is the day of our salvation, 1840s
the day that we were redeemed in Christ Jesus, 1846s
the day that we were promised, 1850s
that we would be forgiven our sins. 1853s
And so we have complete joy in our redemption 1856s
because we know that if it's up to us, 1859s
we will remain unredeemed 1862s
because as hard as we try, 1865s
and I speak for myself as hard as I try, 1868s
cannot do it. 1872s
I don't do it. 1874s
And sometimes quite frankly, I don't want to do it. 1876s
I mean, if we're being honest, 1880s
aren't there ever times where you kind of go, 1882s
I know I should, but, right? 1884s
So we know that we have, 1888s
we have the Lord who is steadfast and faithful and loving 1890s
and has redeemed us and continues to remind us of that 1895s
and tell us of that and continues to forgive our sins, 1899s
even the sins that we commit willingly. 1902s
He still forgives us. 1907s
He desires from us a broken and contrite heart. 1910s
He will not despise us. 1914s
He will forgive us. 1916s
And now let's go to Psalms of peace. 1918s
I'm not even getting through all these Psalms. 1921s
This is just incredible. 1923s
Okay, so Psalms of peace. 1924s
We've already gone through Psalm 23, 1926s
but you know that is just a beautiful, 1929s
beautiful word of peace. 1931s
So that's always a wonderful, wonderful Psalm to read. 1932s
Let's go back to, 1935s
no, we're not because we already did that one. 1937s
Let's go to Psalm 40. 1940s
Psalm 40. 1944s
And I will say every time I read the first verses 1946s
of Psalm 40, I think of the you two song 40 1949s
because it's written about Psalm 40. 1953s
So Psalms of peace, Psalm 40 verses 1 through 3. 1958s
I waited patiently for the Lord. 1963s
He inclined to me and heard my cry. 1965s
He drew me up from the desolate pit, 1968s
out of the myri bog, 1971s
and set my feet upon a rock, 1972s
making my steps secure. 1974s
He put a new song in my mouth, 1976s
a song of praise to our God. 1979s
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. 1981s
There's so much peace knowing 1986s
that as we wait patiently for the Lord, 1988s
he is indeed acting. 1991s
When it seems like he is not acting in our lives, 1993s
that's not true. 1998s
We trust in the Lord's timing 2000s
and we can have complete peace 2002s
because we know that the Lord in his perfect timing 2004s
will act according to his good purpose and will. 2009s
And so we take peace because we have nothing to fear or fret over 2013s
because all is in the Lord's hand. 2017s
And I realize that all of these emotions, 2021s
as we turn to God's Word, 2024s
we continue to find ourselves in the same ending point. 2028s
It's our starting point and our ending point. 2033s
And it is in the Alpha and the Omega. 2037s
It is in God and what He has done for us 2039s
and what He continues to do for us. 2043s
So again, there's nothing that we must fear 2046s
or should fear. 2049s
There's nothing that we should have unrest or un- 2051s
un-peace. Is that a word un-peace? 2055s
It's a word today that we should have un-peace about 2058s
because we have the Lord. 2061s
And we have the Lord always with us and for us. 2064s
Let's go to Psalm 119. 2069s
Psalm 119. 2074s
Verse 165. 2088s
Great peace. Have those who love your law. 2090s
Nothing can make them stumble. 2094s
Great peace. Have those who love your law. 2098s
Nothing can make them stumble. 2103s
When we are living in accordance with God's law, 2105s
when we are living in accordance with His Word, 2110s
there is just a peace because we're living in line with the Lord. 2113s
And when we live in line with the Lord, 2123s
there's no need for disruption. 2126s
And we have that sense of calm and peace in our souls. 2129s
Have you ever had that where you go? 2135s
All is right in my world today. 2137s
Not in the world, but in my world. 2141s
And it's when we find ourselves in those moments, 2144s
even if it's a fleeting moment, 2147s
in those moments where we are meditating on God's Word, 2150s
when we are resting in God's Word, 2155s
and we sit there, 2158s
and we're in that communion with the Lord. 2160s
And it's a peace unlike any other. 2164s
It really is that peace that surpasses all understanding. 2169s
And we can only find it in the Lord. 2174s
And then finally, let's go to Psalm 121, 2179s
because then we're going to do something fun. 2184s
Not that this isn't fun, but I do love this. 2186s
And I do find that this is a very peace-filled Psalm. 2194s
We're going to read the whole thing. 2198s
I lift up my eyes to the hills from where will my help come? 2200s
My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. 2204s
He will not let your foot be moved. 2208s
He who keeps you will not slumber. 2210s
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 2213s
The Lord is your keeper. 2218s
The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 2219s
The sun shall not strike you by day nor the moon by night. 2222s
The Lord will keep you from all evil. 2226s
He will keep your life. 2229s
The Lord will keep you going out and you're coming in from this time on. 2230s
And forevermore, 2235s
there's so much comfort in that Psalm knowing 2237s
that the Lord doesn't sleep. 2241s
The Lord doesn't slumber. 2243s
He has no need for any of those. 2245s
I will say, I just had a conversation before service about, 2247s
you know, oh, is heaven all about just getting all the sleep you need? 2253s
But heaven is something that we've never experienced. 2258s
We're in our mortal bodies and so we need rest and we need sleep. 2264s
But the Lord, the Lord does not. 2269s
He has no need of rest, no need of sleep. 2273s
And so he is never sleeping on the job. 2276s
He is always attentive, always aware and always, 2282s
I like how it says, at our right side. 2288s
He's always with us and there's such great peace in that. 2292s
I think about, I think I was just having this conversation with someone recently too. 2298s
But, you know, when you have a, when you have, okay, women may know, understand this. 2302s
If you've been pregnant before, men, you're just going to have to imagine. 2307s
So when that baby is growing and you think, I just want to meet my kid, 2312s
I just want to meet my kid and then they're born and you go, oh my gosh, 2317s
you're in the world. I just want you back in so I can protect you. 2321s
Right? And so it's, it's kind of like that, but better and, and grander. 2326s
We can't ensure peace for our children. 2332s
We can't look over them or over those that we love 24 hours a day, all day, every day, all year. 2336s
We can't do it. 2344s
But the Lord does. 2346s
And so we find peace knowing that not only does the Lord look over us at all times in all places, 2348s
but the Lord looks over all of us, all of our loved one. 2357s
And so even when we are not available to be frantically hovering over those that we love, 2365s
which don't frantically hover, it's really annoying. I'm sure, but I've been told. 2372s
But, you know, we know that the Lord is lovingly not hovering, but lovingly with and within those that we love. 2380s
And so we find great peace in that because we know that we are not alone. 2391s
We will never be alone. And that always the Lord is walking with us with those that we love 2395s
and that his good and perfect will always is being done. 2401s