How are you doing? I mean, how are you doing? If I were honest, the last few weeks have been hard. It has felt like the enemy has been waging war on my mind, soul and body. Despite my faith and trust in God, fear creeps in. I found myself crying out to the Lord for protection as I withstood the assaults. I longed for God’s presence as I feared He might abandon me. It is during these times especially that I not only love to have my “Jesus time”, as I call it, but I need my “Jesus time”! I need to know that Jesus is with me! It is only through meditation on God’s Word and the power of His Holy Spirit that my thinking and perspective on sin and life circumstances can change. Through meditation on scripture, my perspective becomes God-centered rather than me-centered. In God’s great goodness, He took me to Psalm 27 in my Bible reading this past week!
Written by King David, this psalm is entitled The Psalm of Fearless Trust in God in the New American Standard Bible. I love the New King James title: An Exuberant Declaration of Faith! My spirit is lifted already! This psalm is both an individual lament, as well as a psalm of confidence. Confidence simply means ‘to trust’. Confidence is the feeling of safety and security knowing that you can rely on someone else. The amount of confidence we have in that someone is based on our past experience with them and knowledge of them.
David opens Psalm 27 with this declaration:
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? (v.1)
The Lord is my light. The Lord is my salvation. The Lord is my refuge. David knew his God! Why on earth should he be afraid? I know my God, so why should I be afraid? God has been the light that has directed my path. God teaches me the way of righteousness and how to live. God protects me from the “enemies” that encamp around him, including myself. God alone saves not just my body, but my soul as well. Based on these truths, I have no reason to fear my circumstances. I must consciously place my trust and confidence in God alone. So, what do you believe about God? What do you fear? What or whom do you tend to place your confidence in?
After declaring his beliefs about God, note that David doesn’t ask God to deliver him from his circumstances. David seeks after two things: the beauty of the Lord and to dwell in His presence. Simply put, He seeks after God Himself. He desires God alone! As a consequence of this present “stay at home” order, many of us have had more time to enter God’s sanctuary and gaze upon His beauty in the written Word. He has promised in Jeremiah 29:13 that “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Are you seeking after God Himself, or are you seeking after counterfeit idols? I encourage you to seek after Him.
Psalm 27 ends with these words:
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! (vv 13-14)
Believe that you will see God’s goodness. Wait, understanding that God doesn’t always act according to your time table. Be strong and take courage as you wait with expectation. “For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).
How beautiful to live on this side of the cross! We can now see God Himself in the face of Jesus! Even though sin and circumstances may cause us to fear and question, there is no need to be afraid when we place our confidence in Him. Jesus is our salvation (1 Timothy 1:15)! Jesus is our light (John 8:12)! Jesus is our refuge (John 10:28-30)! He will never abandon us (Romans 8:31-39)! Do you believe that? Do you live like that? My prayer is that if you feel fear darkening your soul, you will change your perspective by seeking the face of Christ and make an exuberant declaration of faith. Ravi Zacharias said it well:
“Faith in the biblical sense is substantive, based on the knowledge that the One in whom that faith is placed has proven that He is worthy of that trust. In its essence, faith is a confidence in the person of Jesus Christ and in His power, so that even when His power does not serve my end, my confidence in Him remains because of who He is.”1
As you read and reread this psalm, notice how it is divided. In verses 1-6, David declares what he believes about God, himself and his situation. These declarations are then turned into a prayer to the Lord in verses 7-14. I encourage you to print out a copy of this psalm. Write your thoughts on it. Note repetition of words or phrases, things you learn about God and His character, questions that you may have. May you draw closer to the Lord as you spend time in personal meditation on Psalm 27.
Love in Christ,
Kim Morgan
1 https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/confidence-in-god.html
I have wrestled with fear for most of my adult life. Thankfully, through His Spirit, His Word, and with wise counsel from others, I am making progress in this area.
When I spend more time thinking His thoughts, instead of mine, I am quicker to land in the right place (high upon the Rock), resting in Him, knowing that He is all I need, and confident that His Spirit empowers me to overcome any fear that I may have.
Only then can I truly “be strong, and take heart, and wait for the Lord.”
On Sunday Pastor Rod reminded us in prayer, that Jesus also said to “take heart,” for He has “overcome the world,”
—that includes all of my fears. Yay!!!
I’m grateful for that reminder, for this Psalm, and for the Lord Jesus Christ, who overcame the world.
Facing Throat Cancer looking to Jesus for healing. Staying in the word and prayer my oil jug is full. O my Soul keep watch until the Bride Groom appears in the Sky Open the doorway into the temple space where I can worship Him with all of my mind all of heart and all my strength and in Spirit and Truth ! Amen
Thank you for the encouraging testimony of strength and trust,
Reminding us of…
“March on, o my soul, be strong.”
Judges 5:21
Your words about entering the temple space where you can worship the Lord with all mind, heart and strength reminds me of Isaiah 6 when Isaiah is given the vision of God’s throne room in heaven. He “saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple”. The seraphim are calling out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory”. As I write this, I’m reminded of Revelation 4 as well. Another picture of worship in heaven!
I am praying for your healing and strength. We serve a gracious, merciful and compassionate God who knows our every need!