The day I first heard this expression, an older warrior of the faith said it from the pulpit to my pastor, who was sitting in the front pew shortly after his son's funeral. That kernel of wisdom found good soil. My pastor has since then shared - more than once - that he has to preach to himself when grief threatens to take him down.
A perfect example of preaching to oneself is Psalm 27. I used to think this Psalm was the product of what I'd call a good day - a day when skies are blue and all's right with the world. Now my perspective is different: David was preaching to himself because he needed it.
The Lord is my light, and my salvation;
Whom then should I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
I think David WAS afraid when he wrote this; he was being tested, tried, pushed to the limit. He needed a fortifying gulp of truth to hold onto in the middle of the game. So he reminded himself (paraphrased!)
Those cannibals have come after me before,
out to eat me alive.
True enemies of all that is good,
they stumbled and fell.
Therefore, even if a riot is breaking out in my front yard
or World War III comes to my doorstep
I will still be confident in the Lord's care.
If you're not a soldier, it's easy to minimize the real danger David experienced frequently; but he was in harm's way countless times. The threats to our security are similar-- guerrillas that attack stealthily, viciously. David, like us, longed for sanctuary.
The Lord knows that more than anything
I am longing for His company and Heaven;
My whole life is saturated with that daily hope.
Whenever the Lord's beauty becomes apparent,
and I'm listening for His voice and direction,
my appetite for eternal things only increases.
David spoke with faith that had been pressed before. If he could set his focus on the Lord, his fears would shrink:
The Lord is going to whisk me into His tent
right in the middle of the battle.
His presence will be like a secret hiding place
as safe as a high rock or eagle's crag.
My perspective will be transformed
and my enemies will look puny.
So here I go!
I'm going to worship You, Lord,
and take joy in You though I don't feel it;
it will be my offering of faith.
Yes, I'm going to sing to You right NOW.
I can imagine David breaking into song, maybe even on the battlefield, sword in hand. He didn't know Jesus, Messiah, but I'm pretty sure the Lord Jesus was with him! Finally, after all this self-preaching, David poured out his soul. It was such an honest, heartfelt plea!
Lord, please hear me!
I'm crying out to You!
Have mercy on me!
Answer me!
You told me to hunt for Your fellowship
and I determined to seek You.
Please don't hide Your presence from me
or turn away from me in anger.
You are my One True Help;
Don't leave me or forsake me, Savior!
Peace and truth started infiltrating David's soul. The Lord was there for him when his father and mother thought he was an unworthy nobody; the Lord would not fail him now. David took a cleansing breath and came back from the edge. His prayer became specific to his situation.
Lord, I need your instruction and leading on this battleground;
Show me the best path through this army of enemies.
Don't let them have their way with me--
They are liars; I smell violence on their breath.
What follows is one of my favorite scriptures, right from the lips of the guy Jesus called "the man after God's own heart." David honored the Lord by believing in the immediacy of the Lord's help in the here and now. His courage powered up, right there in the war zone, with the arrows and spears whizzing around his head.
I would have lost all heart and walked away
if I did not believe this:
I will see the Lord's goodness revealed
this side of eternity;
So I will wait for Him.
I will be bold in Him.
He will strengthen this quaking heart.
Watch for it! It's not over yet!
Expect the Lord.
So, Lord, my Father, I am scouring the horizon, and leaning forward, to catch a glimpse of Your hand. You will never, no never, leave or forsake me. You do not abandon the work of Your hands. You work all things together for good. You will be faithful to complete what You have begun. You ARE my light and my salvation, the strength of my life. Thank You, Lord. I praise You now and take my refuge in You.
