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.™
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.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
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.™
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