It's good to think more deeply about the mercies of God in times of crisis. To help guide us in this effort, we'll consider Paul David Tripp's collection of meditations from Psalm 27 called "A Shelter in the Time of Storm." You can get your own copy on Amazon here.

Psalm 27 is a psalm of trouble and worship, of difficulty and beauty, of the evil of people against people, and of the mercy of God. Because of its honesty about life in this fallen world, Psalm 27 speaks into the life of every believer. At the same time it places joyful and self-sacrificing worship right next to the trouble that is the psalm's background theme. This juxtaposition makes Psalm 27 unique, interesting, practical, challenging, and encouraging.

I'm not going to be reprinting the meditations in their entirety; I'll be pulling out some of my favorite parts, answering the recommended dicussion questions, and adding some of my own commentary. Whether you read the book yourself or just follow along with these posts, I'm confident you'll benefit from carefully considering the message of Psalm 27.

Posts by Paul Mulner

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Verse 14 - Rest

We're headed toward eternal rest. We don't have to be so tired when we get there. ...

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Verse 4 - Functional Blindness

God's glory and beauty are on display everywhere. Are we looking for them? ...

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Verse 2 - Stumbling at the Cross

It was the cross of Christ that fulfilled every hopeful expectation within the Psalms....

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Verse 4 - A Plan for Your Life

You and God both have a plan for your life. Getting them aligned is a key to happiness. ...

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Verse 12 - False Witnesses

How can we endure false accusations? ...

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Verse 3 - Hearts at Rest

We aren't there yet. Sanctification precedes glorification....

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Verse 14 - Productive Delay

God has designed waiting into our lives. What is he doing through it?...

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Verse 13 - Why Bother?

Do you ever look at this broken world and wonder to yourself, "why bother?"...

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Verse 6 - From Your Lips to Messiah's Ears

David offers sacrifices with shouts of joy. ...

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Verse 14 - Caught in the Middle

We want to be in control. Everything gets better when we acknolwedge that we're not the center of the story. ...

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Verse 10 - Family Forever

God always welcomes his people into his presence. ...

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Verse 13 - The Good Life

How influential is God's opinion in your definition of "the good life"?...

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Verse 11 - Going to School

Christians should always been in "student mode," searching for wisdom and ready to learn what God is trying to teach. ...

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Verse 4 - Days of Beauty

We can see God's beauty all around us. Are we looking for it? ...

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Verse 16b - Where You Gonna Run

If there's really no other effective refuge than God's covenant love, why do we keep running elsewhere?...

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Verse 14 - Losing Heart

How long will we wait before we give up? Sometimes, not very long. ...

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Verse 14 - Why I Hate to Wait

Why do we hate waiting so much? Could it be a sin issue?...

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Verse 2 - Watch Out for the Flesh Eaters!

The time of complete peace and rest is coming, but until then Christians are called to be watchful....

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Verse 9 - People in Need of Help

Are we willing to take help when we need it? Would we if we saw that the help was from God himself? ...

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Verses 2 and 4 - Wanting What Is Right When You Are Wronged

How do we avoid sin when we're the one being attacked? Can we respond rightly, even when we're offended?...

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Verse 4 - One Beauty

God's beauty is worth our attention. Are there other things that distract us from it? ...

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Verse 4 - The Theology of Beauty

Is there objective beauty and, if so, where does it come from?...

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Verse 13 - Someday

We are children of God and we will see his goodness - that's a promise....

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Verse 2 - Under Attack

In times of trial we shouldn't forget the resources available to us in the love of God....

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Verse 9 - The Back of God's Head

What will you never, ever see? The back of God's head. He will never turn his face away from you....

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Verse 14 - Spiritual Muscles

Waiting is hard; especially waiting on God. But if all things work for our good (toward our Christlikeness), does that include waiting?...

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Verse 10 - The Rejection of Rejection

Rejection is a terrible feeling but it's not one that we suffer alone. ...

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Verse 6 - The Worship of Another

Who is most likely to become an idol in our lives? Ourselves....

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Verse 4 - Singleness of Focus

The kingdom of self and the kingdom of God are always vying for our loyalty. Which do we pursue?...

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Verse 9 - The Delusion of Independence

Our quest for autonomy is is not good for us. The independence we seek is slavery of the worst kind....

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Verse 5 - Safe

What makes you safe? What do you think makes you safe? ...

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Verse 21 - The Pursuit-of-God Paradigm

Your life has an organizing purpose - it's what your after and why you do what you do. What is it?...

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Verse 3 - Sinned Against Again

When sinned against, what should we do? What shouldn't we do? Which list best describes what we actually do? ...

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Verse 8 - Not Yours

What objects do our hearts long for? For what should they long?...

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Verse 14 - Take Heart

If comfort cannot be found in platitudes, where can we find it? In what can we "take heart?"...

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Verse 6 - Uber Music

God has placed a song on the lips of his people. We should remember, especially in difficult times, the invitation to join in that song with the heavenly chorus....

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Verse 16 - Mercy Prayer

We have no plea to offer before God except that which is based on his own mercy toward us in Christ. ...

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Verse 11 - The Shortest Distance between Two Points

While our paths from justification to glorification could be straight, we choose detours into sin and rebellion. ...

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Verse 8 - You're Talking to Yourself

How good are we at self-counseling? What do we tell ourselves in times of trouble? ...

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Verse 7 - Why Would God Ever Answer Me

God hears the prayers of his people, but why? How can we know that he will hear and respond to us? ...

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Verse 13 - Goodness

God is good, and in that unchanging goodness is our hope made secure....

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Verse 14 - Inner Strength

Our savior waits with us for the recreation of all things. Be patient....

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Verse 4 - Sign Beauty

The beauty we see here is reflective; pointing back to and drawing us toward its source and creator. ...

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Verse 9 - Two Words Your Never Want to Hear

Would God ever tell us to "go away"? Are we afraid that he might?...

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Verse 4 - Your One Thing

What's the "one thing" that your heart craves? The "one thing" that you think will change your life? ...

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Verse 4 - Sight Problems

What can the inability to gaze with the eyes of the body teach us about the failure to "gaze" with the eyes of the heart? ...

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Verse 5 - On Christ the Solid Rock

Humans were made to search for stability and to feel "unstable" without proper grounding. That feeling of instability exists to lead us to God....

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Verse 1 - The World's Best Security System

While we try to find security in all kids of things, the only place it can really be found is in the knowledge that God is our Father - our Light and our Salvation. ...

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Verse 1 - Fearless Forever

Psalm 27:1 asks the key question for every Christian: whom shall I fear? If the Lord is your light and your salvation, the answer must be "no one."...

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Verse 5 - Realistic Expectations

We, and the world in which we live, are both fallen. We need to set our expectations accordingly....

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Verse 12 - Breathing Violence

Once we understand just how far we've fallen (from "very good" to "breathing out violence") we start to understand how much we need God's grace. ...

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Verse 11 - Life as a Student

David prayed that God would teach him, even because of his enemies. Do we still have teachable hearts when it comes to the important questions of life? Do we have a plan for the things we need to learn. ...

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Series Introduction

Why this Psalm? Why now? Since the answer to the second question is pretty obvious, let's focus on the first. What does Psalm 27 have to say that will help us in times of trouble? ...

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Modeling Godly Conflict

One of the most important lessons our children will ever learn from us is the need for quick repentence and quick forgiveness. No matter how often, or what details, we teach about this, what sticks with them is more likely to come from our actions than from our words. In any relationship we will do things that cause offense and hurt, both sinful and not. Learning how to a...

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Kingdom Children

Kids in Crowns

What do we want our children to become, and what are we teaching in order to get them there?...

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The Glory of Fathers

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That parents would be proud of their children is commonly accepted - but that children would be proud of their parents?...

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A Gentle Answer

Children do what they see and speak what they hear. We can do more than just restrain our tongues (though we should do that!). We can also show them how to use our speech for good....

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We Were Made For This

In Genesis 1 God creates us and calls us to be fruitful and multiply. Hard as it seems sometimes, being a good, God-honoring, parent is possible!...

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