The Lord is My Light and My Salvation, Whom Shall I Fear?–Psalm 27:1-6
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the House of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His Temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
He will keep me safe in His dwelling;
He will hide me in the shelter of His Sacred Tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at His sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
It’s fascinating to study the almost un-relatable bravery of our forefathers. The steel-like faith they must have had to endure what they did; to stand firm with God against paralyzing and oftentimes deadly persecution. King David, one of the greatest psalmists, knew a thing or two about war, persecution, oppression and death. But in light of all he had witnessed and experienced, David was first and foremost a servant of the Lord. He knew exactly who God was and what He was capable of. He knew His Heavenly Father was the only true rescue and refuge. The ultimate Vindicator.
David began one of the most powerful psalms in the Bible with: “The Lord is my Light and salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?” Right out of the gate in verse 1, we’ve got one of the best pieces of encouragement (and wisdom) one can behold. The Lord is our light and our salvation! So then, who (or what) shall we fear? Certainly not man … for what divine power or final authority (over our life and salvation) do mere mortals have? (Ps. 118:6) And what about natural disasters? What power does nature have over the One Who created and controls it — the only One Who can calm the wind and the waves? (Mark 4:41) Why should we fear sickness and death when it is the Lord Who has final say? And, when He Himself has promised eternal life to those who love Him? (Num. 12:13-15; 1 Kings 17:20-22; 2 Kings 5:13-14; Luke 4:38-40; Mark 5:28-29; Mark 5:40-42; Acts 5:15-16; Matt. 8:1-3; Rev. 21:4)
King David resolved to fear none of these things. Even though the enemy pursued him on every side, threatening death and destruction, David wrote: “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His Temple” (v 4). Steadfast in his faith and courage, David sought only one thing. Not the lives of his enemies nor the former riches of the world. He sought only to dwell in the Lord’s presence all the days of his life.
Allow the faith and confidence of David to be of great encouragement to you today. Allow his divinely-inspired words to fill your heart with hope knowing that, just as the Lord was with King David in his day of trouble, so is He with you now. That even when sickness, persecution, chaos, war, and death breaks out around you – with God – you have nothing to fear.
So long as you keep your eyes fixed on Him, trusting Him in all His ways, He will cause your enemies to stumble and fall (v 2). He will hide you in the “shelter of His sacred tent” and set you high upon a rock (v 5). You don’t need to figure it all out or have all the answers — you need only to trust Him.
If the Almighty Lord is for you, who dare be against you? (Rom. 8:31)
Praise be to God – the Maker of Heaven and earth! (Ps. 146:6)
0 comments on “The Lord is My Light and My Salvation, Whom Shall I Fear?–Psalm 27:1-6”