‘The Lord is my light and my salvation.…’ (Psalm 27:1)
Read Psalm 27
Psalm 27 begins with one of the most affirming statements about the presence and security of God that we will find anywhere in the Bible, ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear…’ It is believed that the author of this Psalm is King David, at a time when he was being pursued by his enemies, possibly led by Saul. The opening seven verses express such faith and confidence in the Lord that it would be difficult for anyone not to take courage from them. Yet all too quickly the mood of the author changes from confidence to anxiety, before ending confidently again in the final two verses.
There are many things that we can take from this Psalm and many verses from which we can take great strength and courage as we face the many challenges that life throws at us every day. Yet perhaps when we look at the Psalm as a whole we might feel confused or bewildered and ask ourselves how the mood and tone of the Psalm can change so quickly – but perhaps it is from this that we can learn most.
What this Psalm reminds us so powerfully of is the changing moods and emotions of our human hearts and souls – even in terms of our faith. Irrespective of how faithful we are and how often we are able to join with the Psalmist in the praise of the opening seven verses, still there will be times in our lives when suddenly we might become anxious and our faith waivers slightly, if only for a brief moment. All at once our petitions become more anxious and even as we ask of the Lord there is a hint of pleading in our voice and heart that perhaps betrays an element of doubt, both in our own faith and how the Lord will indeed answer our petitions. Then just as quickly the confidence of that sure and certain faith we have in Christ returns.
As Christians we should not judge others yet sometimes the ones we judge most harshly are ourselves. But the words of the Psalmist here reassure us in that sense – we are only human and we will succumb to moments of anxiety, fear, doubt – whatever. But then we are reminded of the great faithfulness of the Lord, that He is the stronghold of our life and once again we can ‘wait for the Lord…’ knowing that He will come and stand beside us as He always has and always will.
Lord, You are indeed our light and salvation. Help us when the days get long and dark to look to that light and hold on to our faith – to be strong and take heart – knowing that you are with us and will remain with us, no matter what. Amen.
Question Of The Day: Jacob is regarded as the Father of the Israelites, but who is Esau regarded as the Father of?