Psalm 27
Triumphant Song of Confidence
Of David.
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 evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live 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.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
The past TWO YEARS have been filled with plans made and canceled, schools and businesses opening and closing and opening and closing again, concerns of health and employment and more. Many of the things that we have counted on in the past to give us hope and comfort and certainty have been put aside.
So what is your foundation? What do you hold on to when all else seems to have been taken away?
This season of Lent is a season of reflection and repent. It seems like we have been in Lent since March 11, 2020! We wait.
The final verse of the psalm says it twice – “Wait for the Lord.”
We are not good at waiting. If Amazon is a day late, we get worried! If the internet goes down, we panic.
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage.
I believe Lent is an opportunity to wait for the Lord, knowing that God is in charge and you and I are not. Maybe this Lent we can be still long enough for God to catch up to us, instead of us out-running the Son of God’s promises of life and hope.
I invite you to re-read the psalm today – what word or phrase challenges you? What word or phrase brings you comfort? Is there a verse that can be your “refrigerator message” for the coming days?
The good news is this – we will celebrate the victory of our Savior once again. He will come and save you. He is our light and our salvation. He is the stronghold in our lives.
Wait for the Lord.
Here is beautiful rendition of the Taize’ song based on this psalm.
Let us Pray. (I encourage you to use the psalm as your prayer for today) We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.