A Moment of Hope

by David Chadwick The word "personal" means "relating to or affecting a particular person." We serve a personal God. He relates to us and his desire is to affect us in the deepest possible way, transforming us more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus. God wants us to know him as personally as King David did and to be able to describe our relationship with him in personal ways. During a particularly difficult crisis in his life, King David described God as "my glory" (Psalm 3:3). What exactly does that mean?<...

by David Chadwick In case you haven't picked up on it yet, the eternal God of the universe wants to be your close, personal friend. King David knew this all too well. He didn't just see God as a far-off, cosmic deity. He encountered him as his steadfast love, his shield, and his deliverer. Like King David, God also wants you to know him as your "King" (Psalm 2:6). Do you know why? Because that is exactly who he is - the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. An earthly king rules faithfully...

by David Chadwick God is our refuge and strength. He wants to be a very present help to us in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He desires to have a close and personal relationship with each one of his children. King David also describes his relationship with God by calling him "my deliverer" (Psalm 18:2)? We, too, are invited into that kind of personal relationship where we know God the same way. God wants to protect you and keep you. He wants to give you peace and to deliver you from your enemies. Jesus said...

by David Chadwick As Christians, we serve a personal God. He is close to us in times of trouble. He is our salvation and our light. In him, we find perfect peace and protection. God is also our personal stronghold (Psalm 18:2). You can run into his arms to find rest. As your stronghold, he will guard and protect you as any loving Daddy should. Picture a citadel guarded by strong ramparts. Perhaps a moat surrounding the stronghold, filled with water. That is who our great God is! He is a personal citadel. A...

by David Chadwick The eternal God of the universe wants to be your close, intimate, and personal friend. As a hiding place, a shield, and a rock, he has been on a rescue mission for all of time to save the world from the curse of sin. God loves the world (John 3:16) and wants everyone to experience his steadfast love and his loving kindness (Psalm 144:2). The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (Lamentations 3:22-23). The Hebrew word for steadfast love is "hesed." It is a love based on covenant commitment, not  a c...

by David Chadwick In this world, there are really only two religions: either you are saved by grace or you are saved by your good works. Christianity is the only world religion with a personal God who left the splendor of heaven to radically pursue a love relationship with this broken world. You have a loving Daddy who wants to be your light and salvation. He also wants to be your shield. When you are surrounded by enemies, he wants you to turn to him for protection. King David did this on a regular basis...

by David Chadwick The eternal God of the universe wants to be your close, personal friend. He wants to be your light. Your salvation. Your hiding place. He desires to have a personal relationship with you. Did you know that the testimonies you collect because of God's personal and sovereign guidance over your life is your heritage? King David wrote in Psalm 119:111, "Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart." Biblically speaking, "heritage" is the legacy passed down from one generation through the next because...

by David Chadwick The eternal God of the universe wants to be your close, personal friend. He wants you to know him as your portion, your salvation, your light. He is also your hiding place (Psalm 119:114). God wants you to run into his arms when you are shaken, when tragedy hits, and when hard times become insurmountable. Think about the children's game "hide and seek." When you play this game, you don't want anyone to find you. God, on the other hand, WANTS you to find him. He wants to seek after you...

by David Chadwick The eternal God of the universe wants to be your close, personal friend. He is not a distant God. Psalm 34:18 says that God is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. King David knew the Lord in so many personal ways. He knew him as his song, his portion, and his light. And also as his salvation. Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" The term "salvation" in Scripture means to be saved from our sins...

by David Chadwick King David knew God in a personal way. When looking through the book of Psalms, it is so evident that his relationship with the Lord knew God as creator, father, and friend. The eternal God of the universe wants a close and personal relationship with you, too. He longs to be your refuge. Your song. Your portion. God also wants to be your light. In Psalm 27:1, King David said, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" In that moment, David proclaimed his confidence in God as his...

by David Chadwick King David knew God as his portion. The same God who David worshipped wants to be your portion as well (Psalm 119:57). A portion is defined as a "specific share of money, property, or estate allocated to an heir or child." Biblically, the term "portion" means "inheritance." It is a promise of security that your loving Daddy will take care of you, protect you, and provide for you forever. Our inheritance from the Lord is a grace gift, freely given to all of his children. Why? Because he has welcomed us...

by David Chadwick The Lord wants to be your "song" (Psalm 118:14). Today, we are going to learn why King David referred to God as his personal song! Throughout Scripture, God's people are commanded to sing. Singing was God's idea. It's a powerful way to declare our love for our Father and express our faith in him. As we sing, God soothes our soul and we are able to say that we trust Him in all things. David knew God personally as his song. Most of the psalms were written by David...

by David Chadwick When King David needed anything, he turned to God: "I love you, O Lord, my strength" (Psalm 18:1). David's dependency on God throughout his life was how he became God's close friend. The Lord became David's strength. And God wants to become your strength, too. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls...

by David Chadwick God is your loving Daddy. He wants to be intimately involved in every area of your life. Like Abraham, we were created to be friends of God (James 2:23). As his friend, God longs for a deeply personal relationship with you. While very personal, God is also sovereign. He is in control of everything. He is Lord over all. King David was profoundly aware of God's sovereignty when he wrote: "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you" (Psalm 16:2). David understood that apart from recognizing God as Lord...

by David Chadwick King David's relationship with the Lord was profoundly personal. James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." David knew this promise full well. Everything good in his life came from the Lord. His life was so entwined with God that when David referred to his "prosperity," it was from a deep awareness that only God was the source of him prospering (Psalm 30:6). Of having more than he could...

by David Chadwick David found his hope in God alone: "He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken" (Psalm 62:1-2). When David wrote Psalm 62, he was under attack by his enemies. But instead of giving way to fear, David called upon the Lord–his rock. King David did not just know God as Lord; he became God's close friend. In fact, in Psalm 61:1, when David's heart felt overwhelmed and faint, he cried out to God and asked Him to lead him to the rock "th...

by David Chadwick King David knew God as a close friend, so much so that he referred to him as his "dwelling place." A place of refuge where no evil can exist, and no harm can come near you (Psalm 91:9-10). A dwelling place is a place of comfort. It's a safe home where we can permanently reside. It's the place we go to take a deep breath and rest. It is where you pull up the drawbridge and know you can be safe and secure. The Lord is a loving Daddy who...

by David Chadwick "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer" (Psalm 18:2). King David wrote Psalm 18 and sang it to the Lord after God delivered him from his enemies. And again in Psalm 91:2, David said, "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" The Lord is not just a shelter; he is a fortress. An immoveable source of strength when the arrows are flying. "My fortress" is a powerful description. Take a moment and consider...

by David Chadwick God is "my refuge." "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge...'" (Psalm 91:2). The eternal God of the universe, the One who created everything, wants to be your personal shelter in the midst of trouble. He is a loving Daddy who yearns to provide safety for you in every single situation you face. He wants you to abide in him and walk closely with him every day. He wants you to run into his arms when you feel in danger. King David had this kind...

by David Chadwick Do you know what makes the Christian faith uniquely different from every other religion in the world? It is the fact that we serve a God who wants to have a personal relationship with us. God sent Jesus to the world because he loves his children deeply and was on a rescue mission to restore the connection that was lost with sin. He longs for us to have a deep, abiding, personal relationship with him. As followers of Jesus, our God is ever-present and approachable. He is a loving Daddy...