Psalm 27:1, 13-14
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom should I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom should I dread?… I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”
Thoughts from Pastor Stuart
Dive Deeper
Behind the Scenes
Have you ever noticed how some translations will have the word LORD in all capital letters when talking about God in the Old Testament? Interestingly, this is done when the original Hebrew word YHWH was used.
God has many names in the Bible, both that He gives Himself and names that His people give Him. Every name of God tells us something about His character. But the name YHWH (pronounced either Yahweh or Jehovah) is the ultimate name of God. It means “Creator God” and “God above all else”. Literally translated it means “He is”. It is the name that God uses when telling Moses who He is in the burning bush. And it is the name that He uses whenever referring to His ultimate power, strength, and supremacy.
Now, take that understanding of the word and apply it to these verses. The LORD- The all-powerful, all–supreme, Creator God- is my light and my salvation. The God who breathes out stars and spoke all of creation into being- HE is on our side. HE is our redeemer. HE is our salvation.
I love the question in verse 1: “Whom should I fear? Whom should I dread?” Truly, if God is for us, who could ever be against us? If we have the Creator God, the God who was, who is, and who is to come, the almighty on our side, how could we ever be afraid?!
Make it Real
There are so many times in life where we are tempted to fear, when the world around us feels overwhelming and frightening. We wonder what tomorrow will bring. And in the middle of that fear, we lose sight of the God who sits on high. We lose sight of the God who NEVER fails.
I love the advice in this verse. Following the statement of who God is, that He is on our side, and the realization that in that truth we need not fear, David makes some practical statements about how to apply this truth to our lives.
- Believe- David stands on the belief that he would see the goodness of God. He claims what he knows to be true about God and holds onto it, even though he can’t see it in that moment.
- Wait- David reminds himself that God’s timing is always better than his timing. He commits to wait on God’s timing even when it’s not easy.
- Be strong and take courage- David chooses to be strong. This isn’t a statement of feeling- it’s a statement of choice. David understands that he has a choice in the matter and a part to play.
We all have our fears, our frustrations, our failures, and our worries. But the God who spoke all into being is big enough to handle any and every struggle we face. When we allow Him to be in the driver’s seat, when we surrender and trust, we will find peace that goes beyond all understanding. I don’t know what is weighing on you today. But I do know that the recipe that David turned to in this verse is applicable for you and me today as well.
Believe. Wait. Be strong and take courage.
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Team Lead
End in Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I believe that You are enough. I believe that You love me more than I can ever imagine. I believe that You are working all things for my good. I believe Your ways are always better than mine.
I will wait on Your timing. I will wait for You to move and surrender my plans to Yours. I will trust in Your pace and choose today to walk in Your footsteps.
Please help me to be strong in Your truth today. Help me to choose to stand on what I know and not what I feel. Help me to take the courage You offer in Your goodness and apply it to my life.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen