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?  Psalm 27:1
 
 
Lately I’ve been clinging to this verse in Psalm 27. God is indeed my light, my salvation, and my stronghold. I needn’t be afraid. Of anything.
 
So often we are paralyzed in fear. We focus downward at our circumstances so much that we fail to look upward. Up to the One who is ultimately in control and is totally trustworthy.
 
Verse 1 of Psalm 27 says “the LORD is my light and my salvation”. What a powerful statement! As my light, He guides my life. His Word is “a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). He leads me when I can’t see the way, when I’m lost in fear and darkness. As my salvation, the Lord saves me for all eternity through Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross where He conquered sin and death. His is the victory and I, too, can claim that victory, not just for heaven when I die, but for today, in the here and now. If Jesus conquered death, what circumstances would stump Him? In the second half of Psalm 27:1, it says “the LORD is the stronghold of my life”. As my stronghold, the Lord has built a fortress around me, to protect me and keep me safe. I am His.
 
What are you afraid of? Is it physical safety for you or your loved ones? Is it a medical diagnosis? Maybe it is fear of the unknown or fear of your future or your children’s future. Or perhaps you fear a very specific circumstance in which you find yourself.
 
Psalm 27 contains the key that unlocks our fear. In verse 3, even if our situations are spinning out of control, our “heart[s] will not fear”. We can still remain “confident”. The secret is in verse 4 which says, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”
 
Seeking God through prayer and by reading, meditating, and memorizing His Word keeps us dwelling in His presence. God promises us He will never leave us (see Psalm 9:10). As long as we seek Him, we will find Him (see Matthew 7:7-8). God’s presence has the power to calm our fears and restore our hearts. We do not have to live in fear.
 
Verse 13 tells us that when we seek His face, we will indeed see His goodness all around us. Seeing Him work throughout the events in our lives encourages us to trust Him more. We can then, as verse 14 says, wait for the Lord to meet us. As we seek His presence, He gives us strength and courage to live in the face of fear.
 
If you’re struggling with fear or anxiety, join me in memorizing today’s key verse. Let the Lord be your light in the darkness, your victory in salvation, and your protecting stronghold. Then you will be strong and take heart as you wait for Him.
 
 
Dear Lord, thank You for being my light and my salvation. Calm my fears as I seek Your face and dwell in Your presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
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Text and photo copyright © 2016 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of fog-shrouded road south of Cape Meares, Oregon.
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

​“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13:45-46
 
 
In Matthew 13:44, we learned that the kingdom of heaven is a treasure. (Please see previous blog entitled “Where is Your Treasure?”.) In the subsequent verses in Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus is discussing a similar theme: how the kingdom of heaven is the most valuable commodity. Just like the merchant in these verses who sold everything he had to purchase this treasured pearl, we, too, need to value the kingdom of heaven above all else. That kingdom of heaven here on earth is our relationship with Jesus.
 
After hearing a recent sermon on these verses, I felt God speaking these verses into my life again. Only this time, the “pearl” wasn’t the Gospel or kingdom of heaven, but rather a place in my heart that needed healing.
 
Sometimes we look to our fellow humans to fulfill a need we have. Perhaps we crave validation, acceptance, or love, and we search for it through relationships. When those relationships fail, end, or just disappoint, we feel lost. We’ve somehow managed to put all our proverbial “eggs” in the basket of human relationships.
 
Sometimes we look for other solutions to meet our deepest longings. Material possessions are often what we pursue. Perhaps we feel if we just purchase this or we have “X” amount of money in the bank, we will feel satisfied, even happy. We will feel like we’ve “made it” and will have the respect or acceptance from other people that we are looking for. We may even feel safe and secure.
 
What is your “pearl”? What is the deepest longing of your heart? What is it that you would give everything for? Is your pearl acceptance, love, or wholeness? Is it feeling special, worthy, or complete? Or is your pearl the feeling of being safe and secure? What is it that you would give everything for?
 
The truth is God created us with a vacuum in our hearts, a longing that only He can fill. God uses the emptiness in our hearts to draw us closer to Him, not to other people or to material possessions. While community has its place and God may bring friends and family, even strangers, into your life to teach you and to be His hands and feet, it is God Himself and He alone who can heal you and make you complete. Stay with those places in your heart. Allow God’s love and grace to fill the vacuum. When you value your relationship with Jesus above all else, He will take your pearl and fill the places in your heart full to the brim with His love and grace. You will find what you were longing for and realize it was worth everything to find.
 
  
Lord, You are my Pearl, what I would give everything for. Thank you for filling the places in my heart that need filling with Your love and grace. Keep me pursuing You rather than running after other things that only fill my heart temporarily. You alone are worthy. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
 
 
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Text and photo copyright © 2016 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Bleeding Heart flowers from Drumlanrig Castle, Thornhill, Scotland.
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™