praises unto the Lord.” The widow of the famed composer Schumann was herself a very gifted musician. Whenever asked to perform some of her husband’s compositions, she made it a point, before the presentation, to spend much time reading the old love letters he had sent to her in earlier days. These billetsdoux so in spired her she said she was then able to perform her husband’s greatest compositions with a unique sense of achievement. In our everyday sphere of activities, the world is asking to see the reality of Jesus Christ. The only way we’re going to be able to perform, living before them in a posi tive and convincing manner, is when the Word of God, His love letters to us, become a very real, vital and moving part of our lives. In another figure of speech, you’re not going to drown as long as God keeps your head above water. Luke 21:26 states it correctly, “Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.” There are at least two things which cause us to allow our heads to hang down. One is fear. There are worries, anxieties, con cerns, which result in our looking at the things of this world rather than at the things of God. I think the other thing causing a man’s head to hang down on occasion is shame. Many Christians are ashamed be cause of the way they live (and well they might be concerned). It may be that they have forsaken God. It may be that they have no fellowship whatsoever with the Lord. It may be that there is some unconfessed sin in their life. They have gone on, giv ing in to temptations. I John 1:9 tells us as believers, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Now notice he says, “Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacri fices of joy.” What is God’s taber nacle of which David speaks? In the strictest sense, we know it to be the
tent David had in the wilderness. Later it became the temple which David’s son, Solomon, built to re place the transient facility. Today we realize that, based upon New Testa ment Scripture, the body of the be liever is the temple, the tabernacle, or the dwelling place of God’s Holy Spirit. So to our hearts comes the realization that our body is to be the place where we offer the sacri fices of joy. How do we act when pressures come, joyful or woeful? What kind of sacrifices are being offered in your hearts? David tes tified, “I will sing praises unto the Lord.” It wasn’t just a case of easy, well-modulated solo work, but the translation is actually, “I will shout, I’ll let everyone know; it will ring from the house-tops.” So the Lord is lifting up the head. This is salvation by elevation above the old worries, above the old tempta tions, above the old irritations, above the old frustrations. God lifts up the head. We need that, don’t we ? When Mozart was dying, he asked that his musician friends perform for him his famous “Requiem.” As he listened to the moving passages which he had been inspired to write, he was so touched that he lifted himself up as best he could on his elbow and began singing along with them. His tory records that Mozart literally sang himself to death. As the com mercial crudely puts it, “What a way to go!” Would to God that this might be true in our lives, not only physically, but also spiritually! CHAPTER FIVE Coming to verse seven, we enter the second section of this portion of Scripture. You remember, verses 1 through 6 of Psalm 27 showed us the triumph of the saints. Through the first few verses we see the compas sion of our Saviour. Notice David beseeches, “Hear, 0 Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.” Notice what the 11
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