Overcoming 2: Life Lessons From the PsalmsSample

My Lamp and My Song Psalm 18:28–29 (NIV84): “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” To genuinely appreciate verses 28 and 29, you must read them in light of verses 1 through 6. From a very deep sense of gratefulness, David writes, “ You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness to light.” David is poetically confessing he was nearly at the end of his rope. The issue he was facing had him close to “burnout.” His hopes and dreams were fading. His energy to “keep on keeping on” was waning. There are some days that are so difficult due to the struggle with the personal issues we are facing that we do not have the capacity to keep the lamp of our heart lit. We do not have the capacity to keep our hopes and faith energized. In those days, we need the supernatural fuel of God’s presence to keep our lamp burning. As David did, we need the Lord to dispel the darkness of doubt, despair, and the fatigue that accompanies the struggles that seem to be endless. In light of verses one through six, verses 28 and 29 are verses that represent miracles. These two verses represent the kingdom principle shared by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 19:26 (NIV84): “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” If the lamp of your heart is flickering, read on. David’s miracle can be your miracle. Miracle #1: “ You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning…” Some days, I can keep my lamp burning. I can keep my chin up and maintain a positive outlook. But there are other days I do not have the slightest chance of doing so. In those days, the most I can do is to lift my eyes to the Lord. I do not have the emotional, mental, or spiritual strength to lift anything else. In those days when the Lord visits my soul with his sustaining presence, I can say, “ You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning . You, O Lord, warm my faith and encourage my heart.” The miracle is present in His presence. It is in His presence I can declare, “The light of your presence empowers me to move forward. Your presence warms my heart and fuels my soul. You, O Lord, renew me with hope and faith. ” Miracle #2: “ … my God turns my darkness into light. ” Everyone knows light and darkness cannot inhabit the same place at the same time. We are reminded of this miracle with every sunrise and sunset. When we flip the light switch from Off to On, we are reminded of this universal and timeless principle. To experience this divine phenomenon in the deepest of the dark moments of uncertainty and despair is to experience a powerful internal miracle. This is not a miracle to God, for the light of His presence has no challenge. But to us, the moment when the light of His presence reaches into our darkest moments is an amazing miracle. In those moments, we experience the awe of His glory and ability. The entire Bible is full of such stories. Turning darkness into light is one of God’s specialties. It is His expertise. There is no darkness so dark that the light of God’s presence is ever challenged. If He appears, darkness flees. I think of how the hearts of the disciples were darkened by his crucifixion. Then Jesus, after His resurrection, appears to them multiple times. Their darkness was turned into light. The disciples lived the rest of their lives with a burning in their hearts for others to know this phenomenon. If your soul has been darkened by your circumstances, then spend some time in the light of God’s presence. Ask Him to flip the switch within your soul from Off to On. Miracle #3: “ With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” This is the language of the one who has experienced the warming and enlightening presence of God. What was once unimaginable has become a competency. The Lord Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12), and what He can do within us is far beyond what we could have imagined in the darkness. This is the language of divine faith. In the face of adversity, an inward strength occurs that is only explainable if you include the name of the Lord in your explanation. With His help, you can do what you could not have done. You can hold onto hope when you thought you could not. You can believe for what you had given up as possible. You can scale a wall that was once insurmountable. “ With His help” what would have been one of your darkest days can be transformed into one of your strongest and brightest days. Psalm 18 is David’s testimony of God’s sovereignty. He entitled this Psalm as a song he wrote and sang. His testimony of God’s sovereignty is to be our testimony. The perseverance and strength David experienced with the Lord is to be our experience. As David wrote a song of God’s faithfulness, we are to do the same. The lyrics of our life story are to contain the name of the Lord throughout. The testimony of our experience with the Lord is to be one of miracles. The sober reality of most miracles is that they only occur when there is a great need for a miracle. In 1987, Christian songwriter and singer Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song entitled “Weak Days.” The lyrics of the chorus are an appropriate application to the message of this Psalm. I gotta keep my eyes on Jesus Through the weak days; In a world where we really don't belong, I've discovered if I keep my eyes on Jesus Through the weak days, Then, even on the weak days, He'll make me strong. David finishes his song with a declaration for you and me. He says, “ He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” You are a spiritual descendant of David. Therefore, it is the choice of the Lord to show you His unfailing kindness in every season and every moment. Seek Him. Seek His presence. Allow the light of His presence to warm your faith. May He write a song in your heart that you sing every day until you draw your last earthly breath. Conclusion: Today, you will complete the plan Overcoming 2: Life Lessons from the Psalms written by Pastor Berry Johnston of Discovery Church. We hope this plan has been a blessing to you. For more from this series, please check out our other plans. If you would like to share your thoughts with us on this plan, you can contact us at [ discoverypathway@discoverychurch.org ](mailto:discoverypathway@discoverychurch.org) . May God richly bless you as you overcome!