“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? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” -Psalm 27:1-3

Psalm 27 contains two of my favorite verses: verse 4 and verse 13. Recently I sat with this psalm longer, to meditate on David’s experience as he wrote it, God’s character throughout, and the Lord’s promises which anchor the hope of every Christian. It has blessed me to stop and consider the truths laced with David’s prayer of need and deliverance. David shows a confidence in his God despite the circumstances. He was all too familiar with danger and foes, yet it was in those times he learned to seek the Lord as his defense. Every attack whether to cause bodily harm or wreck his reputation was an opportunity to trust in God’s wisdom and providence.

Afflictions are the Christian’s badge of honor when responded with faith. It is not David who will ultimately fall, but his enemies. The shepherd king rests in this confidence, assured that Jehovah Yahweh will guide, sustain and deliver him throughout his life. When God is our refuge, our stronghold in the days of disaster, the believer can have peace. Keeping an eternal perspective outweighs the temporal situation, even if that affliction were to last our entire earthly life. It is still not the end of the Story. God is victorious, therefore, you too will see your enemies, seen and unseen, crushed underneath the feet of King Jesus (Romans 16:20).

Lord Jehovah, the Great I AM over all creation is the One who condescended to humanity, lovingly shining the truth on our darkened minds. The Lord God has delivered the soul of every Christian, past, present and future, once for all eternity. He keeps our feet from slipping into the eternal abyss of Hell because none of His children will be taken from Him! Therefore, all fear should be gone- banish the unknown of tomorrow, the slanderers, evil plotters, and critics. Anxiety for the Christian is the fruit of unbelief in God’s promises. Go in peace, humility and boldness, because you are dearly loved, Christian. A believer can have confidence like David did, since we are co-heirs with the Lord of our salvation. What have you to fear with God as your guard and guide?

Grace upon grace,

April