Finding Joy in Times of Trouble

Psalm 27:5–6
“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.”

Some commentators suggest David wrote Psalm 27 while on the run from King Saul. 

Psalm 27:2 "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”

From the first part of Psalm 27, we read of David and his hard circumstances. He was going through a very tough time. Consider just how bad his situation was:

A) Wicked enemies and foes are upon him—vs. 2

Psalm 27:2 "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”

B) There armies desire to kill him—vs. 3

 Psalm 27:2 "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”

C) There foes encamped around David—vs. 3

Psalm 27:3 “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”

D) They threaten war against David—vs. 3

Psalm 27:3 "Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”

David, simply put, was living in a time of great trouble!

Psalm 27:5: "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”

Just imagine for a second what difficult circumstances this shepherded boy was facing. From the first part of Psalm 27, we read of David and his hard circumstances. David was not writing these words while everything in his life was going good. He was facing some very real problems. There were enemies against him, people that wanted to hurt him, and circumstances that could have easily caused him to be afraid and discouraged. Yet in all this we read of David’s response to the time of trouble.

Psalm 27:6 “And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.”

Wow, what a joyful and unexpected turn. If those circumstances were happening to me, I would probably be fretful and full of worry. I would probably be thinking about my enemies, the danger around me, and everything that could go wrong. Yet David’s response is quite the opposite. He is sacrificing to God with joy and praise. In the middle of one of the hardest times of his life, David is still talking about singing.

David found joy in his time of trouble.

Christian, we too will face difficult circumstances and hard times in our life that tempt us to worry and complain. Times of trouble will creep up on us, causing us to want to be burdened down and lose our joy.

How can the child of God overcome the tough times in life while maintaining a spirit of joy and praise? I believe Psalm 27 gives us a special insight into how David kept his joy full in spite of what was happening around him.

Let’s look at Psalm 27 and find 4 ways to keep our joy in times of trouble.

1. Walk with God—vs. 7–10

Psalm 27:7–10“Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.”

From those 4 verses, one constant theme is present. That is David’s walk with God. David’s circumstances were difficult, but instead of allowing those circumstances to drive him away from God, they drove him closer to God.

If we want a spirit of joy that lasts behind the fun times, we must prioritize being close to God. In the presence of God, burdens are lifted. In the presence of God comes a true peace that nothing of this world can give. When difficult times come in our lives, let it serve as a reminder to stay in the presence of God’s protective hand. The time when we feel like worrying the most is the time when we need to walk with God the closest.

2. Will of God — vs. 11–12

Psalm 27:11–12 “Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.”

A joy that lasts for the Christian is found in doing God’s will. Because no matter the circumstance that may come our way, we can have peace in knowing that we are doing what God wants us to do. We may not understand everything that is happening. We may not understand why God has allowed a certain trial into our lives. But there is joy in knowing, “I am where God wants me to be, and I am doing what God wants me to do.” When the hard situations come, we know they are a part of God’s wonderful plan for our lives. That thought will keep you going in the tough times.

3. Wonders of God — vs. 13

Psalm 27:13 "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

A third way to keep our joy is simply by just remembering some of the blessings that God has given you. 

Maybe when that tough situation happens, grab a piece of paper and write some of the blessings that God has given you. You see, tough and difficult circumstances will draw your focus to the problems of life. To keep our focus on God, just keep his goodness in mind. He is a great Heavenly Father that loves and cares for us.

David did not deny that he had problems. He simply refused to allow his problems to make him forget the goodness of God.

4. Waiting on God — vs. 14

Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

I believe the last verse of Psalm 27 demonstrates the spiritual maturity of David. 

In verse 14, we learn that we can have joy in waiting on God to work. 

This mindset David writes about is accepting the fact that hard times will come but waiting patiently on God to take care of them. Our fleshly response will be to focus and try to solve the problem on our own; however, God’s word instructs us to wait on God. 

We must learn that God can handle our problems better than we can.

When we give our problems to God and wait for his perfect timing, we can expect a certain joy and peace.

So in conclusion, God’s Word provides 4 ways to keep our joy in the hard times of life. Psalm 27 shows us that when tough situations threaten our joy, we should get closer to God, remain in his will, remember his goodness, and wait on his perfect timing.