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| Photograph courtesy of Andria Hoffman |
The focus of the women's retreat was on Psalm 27, a portion of scripture written by David while he was being hotly pursued by the insanely jealous King Saul. I've included the psalm in its entirety in today's post because every verse of it is so powerful and moving:
1 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 evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
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 inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look
upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27, ESV, emphases mine)
One of the most powerful aspects of this psalm was discussed during the first session of the retreat when we focused on God as our light, salvation, and stronghold and how these particular truths speak to our fear (see verse 1). In small groups, we discussed what each of these terms really mean and how we would visualize them in our lives. Our speaker, Pam, offered up this truth for each of us to consider:
"If God is your stronghold, you are free to be weak" --Pam Fahrner
WOW! This was such a freeing reality for me to just rest in, as an overachiever, homeschooling mother who has many balls in the air at any one time. I am continuing to pray over what this truth means for me in my daily life: How I can rest, be vulnerable with my struggles, and reach out to others in light of the fact that GOD is my stronghold? This amazing reality frees me to serve and do all the many things God has called me to do with joy because I can do them in His strength, not my own!
Another powerful verse from Psalm 27--one which provided the title for our weekend gathering, "One Thing"--is verse 4 which speaks to the "one thing" that David asks God for in the midst of his struggle with Saul. Instead of asking God for protection, relief, and revenge (like I would!), David asks for God's presence and desires to seek His face (see also vs. 8-9). Pam challenged us to wake up each day prayerfully, asking God to help us seek His face first in all things. I have been encouraged through doing this in the days that have followed since the retreat, and it has brought a profound focus to my days.
How do the truths found in Psalm 27 speak life and hope into your heart today, dear friend? God is so good and faithful to His people, even during the storms and trials of life. If you are struggling and desire to learn more about seeking God's face in the midst of your trials, I wholeheartedly recommend this devotional from Paul David Tripp which contains 52 biblical reflections on Psalm 27. Each of us on the retreat received a complimentary copy, and I have enjoyed reading it each day.
I trust that you, too, will be blessed as you seek God's face as your "one thing" each day this week, and for the weeks and months to come! Let us encourage one another to NEVER forget that God alone is our light, our stronghold, our salvation, and our only hope!
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