Overcoming the Blues Through the Psalms, Part 4

“In the Lord’s Strength, Not Your Strength”

Psalm 27:1–14 (January 19th, 2026)

Today is the fourth part of a five-part sermon series we have titled Overcoming the Blues Through the Psalms. We have been talking about how you and I can overcome the blues through God’s Word—specifically from the Book of Psalms.

This is the time of the year that many—many—many will catch the Blues Virus. Symptoms include depression, isolation, grief, sadness, a loss of faith, doubt, and the dread of the day.

And this is what you must know about the Blues Virus: I am not immune to them (the blues), and neither are you. Also know this—if you are experiencing the blues, this doesn’t mean that you are not saved, it doesn’t mean that you don’t love Jesus, and it doesn’t mean that you are doing something wrong. What it means is that you are human. When you read the Bible, you will discover that many of God’s chosen vessels had deep moments of the blues and doubt.

What we are doing in this sermon series is giving you a Biblical prescription as to how to overcome the blues using the Book of Psalms.

The Biblical Prescription: Your Weekly “Medication”

Here is the prescription:

• Read the Psalm we preach on Sunday.

• Read, pray, and study that Psalm each day of the week.

• Sing, listen to, or read the songs we have printed for you.

I guarantee you this is the best medicine you can take; it will cure your blues.

Why Psalm 27?

David—you know, King David, the shepherd boy—wrote most of the Psalms recorded for you in your Bible. Psalm 27 is a powerful Psalm for how to overcome the blues when you are down and out, when enemies are knocking on your door.

This Psalm is packed with applications that deal with multiple emotions that contribute to the blues. David finds himself in a very difficult spot. His enemies—the wicked people—his foes, his adversaries, and false witnesses have risen up against him. So the question is: How do we overcome the blues?

1. Choose Faith Over Fear

“The Lord is my light and my salvation: Whom shall I fear? The Lord is my strength of my life: Of whom shall I be afraid?”Psalm 27:1 (NKJV)

How many of you live in constant fear? Fear of dying? Fear of failure? Fear of not being good enough? Fear of rejection? Fear of loneliness?

Fear will always keep you from living in the freedom God has for you!

David understood this and claimed faith—faith in his Heavenly Father to give him strength (faith and not fear).

“When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell.”Psalm 27:2 (NKJV)

And here is the real-life application:

When loneliness came against me, loneliness stumbled and fell. When fear of dying came against me, dying stumbled and fell. When failure came against me, failure stumbled and fell. When depression came against me, depression stumbled and fell. When anxiety came against me, anxiety stumbled and fell. When financial trouble came against me, financial trouble stumbled and fell. When grief came against me, grief stumbled and fell. When rejection came against me, rejection stumbled and fell. When doubt came against me, doubt stumbled and fell.

Read Psalm 27:3 (NKJV). David chose faith over fear. Today, many of you must choose faith over your fears!

2. Choose Presence Over Problems

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”Psalm 27:4 (NKJV)

The Hebrew word “dwell” means to remain, abide, inhabit, continue, establish, and to sit down. David is saying, “I am going to choose the Presence of the Lord over the problems of the land!”

“For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle. He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.”Psalm 27:5 (NKJV)

When the blues come on you—and they will—seek the Presence of the LORD!

A Testimony of God’s Presence

I have told this story before, and there are billions of testimonies that confirm this truth.

One of our church members’ husbands died unexpectedly several years ago. This church member is Mrs. Becky Wack. For those who know her, you know her as a strong, kind, and compassionate follower of Jesus.

After her husband passed, the loneliness was palpable, especially at night. During this “blues flu,” she began to seek the Presence of the Lord. She would meditate that she is a little girl, and her Heavenly Father is sitting in His chair. She approaches Him, and He leans over, picks her up, and holds her tight in His arms as the GOOD SHEPHERD.

And it’s in that moment—and many moments after—she would find rest for her soul. Hidden in the pavilion of the Lord. In the secret place of His tabernacle. High above the problems of life.

Maybe today, it’s time for you also to take your eyes off the problems (enemies) and seek the presence of Jesus.

“Therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”Psalm 27:6 (NKJV)

3. Choose Prayer Over Priorities

David was a man of many prayers, and one of the commonalities in his devotion and prayer life was that he chose prayer over all the priorities in his life.

“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You:”Psalm 63:1 (NKJV)

“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to you and I will look up.”Psalm 5:3 (NKJV)

“I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your Word.”Psalm 119:147 (NKJV)

My friend, listen carefully to me: Satan, the flesh, and the world will fight against you and your prayer life more than any other activity you do for the LORD.

When the blues get to you, you will not want to pray, you will not want to come to church, you will not want to read your Bible. Fight through it; keep taking your biblical medication.

David prays:

“Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”Psalm 27:7 (NKJV)

And remember this line:

“Listen, we can either seek the Lord in prayer or sink in our pity!” (Carley and Jeff Lawrence)

David continues:

“Do not hide Your face from Me; Do not turn your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.”Psalm 27:9–10 (NKJV)

4. Choose Waiting Over Worry

David closes with direction for the long days—when the blues don’t lift quickly.

“Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence.I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”Psalm 27:11–14 (NKJV)

How many of you enjoy waiting in a drive-thru line? How many enjoy waiting in bumper-to-bumper traffic? How many enjoy waiting in a checkout line when you’re next, and the person in front of you has an item with no price, and the cashier has to call for a price check?

One of the most common questions we ask is: “How long will it take?”

David encourages you and I to “Be of good courage and wait on the LORD!” The blues don’t go away all in one day. Sometimes it takes a long time. We never know.

But you cannot give up, you cannot give in, and you cannot give out.

David says (paraphrased): “I believe that the goodness of the Lord will come upon me once again while I am still living. If I didn’t believe that, I would have given up a long time ago. Be of good courage and wait on the Lord.”

The Four Choices That Lead You Out of the Blues

1. Choose Faith over Fear.

2. Choose Presence over Problems.

3. Choose Prayer over Priorities.

4. Choose Waiting over Worry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClKzOyUattg