How to Praise God When You Are Stressed
Psalm 27:1-6

I. Understand the Personality of God

In this Psalm, David refers to the trouble that he was facing because of his enemies. In verse 2 he speaks of evildoers and adversaries that was in the midst of an intense attack, but even with trouble all around him, David had great confidence in the Lord. Not only did he have confidence in the Lord, he was able to praise the Lord even in the midst of such difficulty. David was filled with praise, thanksgiving and adoration for all God had done in his life, he did so because he had come to know God personally and intimately.

• When you begin to recognize and understand the many attributes of God’s personality you will become more and more confident in his abilities.
• When you have confidence in the Lord you will be able to trust Him, even in the tough times of life.

Read what David declares about the personality of God in verses 2. The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? David describes the Lord as: my light, my salvation, and the strength of my life.

Though trouble surrounded David, he knew that he was not in darkness because the Lord was his light. Though danger was all around him, David knew that the Lord was his “salvation”. He trusted that the Lord would deliver him from his enemies. David’s confidence came from the fact that the Lord had delivered him from the past. He could talk about what the Lord will do based on what the Lord had done.

Not only is the Lord our light and our salvation, He is the strength of our life. Think about this for a moment, David was known as being a great warrior. He not only slew that great giant Goliath, but he had many noted victories against the Philistines. Even with his skill and personal abilities, David looked to the Lord as the strength of his life.

In the middle of your mess and your misery, the Lord is the strength for your struggle. When you are encountering your enemy, facing your foes, dealing with your difficulty, the Lord will:

• Aid you when you are in agony
• Bless you when in burdens
• Comfort you when in crisis
• Deliver you when in despair

In every stressful situation understand the personality of God.