Psalm 27
1 Of David.
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? 2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Saviour. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not hand me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.
13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
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Psalm 27 – Why fear, if God is for you?
(Verses 1-3) Two questions and a remark on ‘fear’ start this psalm.
David first states who the LORD is and what that means to him. He now knows how to face any fears. Fourteen times he uses ‘my’, ‘I’, or ‘me’. This is not selfish. God is personal, if you trust Him as ‘Saviour’.
David says God is his ‘light’, ‘salvation’, and ‘stronghold’ of life. Do you see God like that? You will, if God’s Holy Spirit shows you how bad your sin is, enlightens your mind to grasp God’s truth, and shows you Jesus, the ‘Light of the world’, answering your prayer to enter your life as your ‘Salvation’. He saves you from sin’s penalty in Hell, its power in your life, and its presence in Heaven. When? When you trust in Him and His death to bear all your sins on the cross and God’s judgment against your sins.
When an old ‘stronghold’ tower was attacked, people fled in for safe refuge: stored food saved them. In Christ, God keeps you safe and feeds you spiritually until you move from earth to Heaven. That’s why David is not be afraid or fears! He knows God keeps him, even if an army camps against him! Romans 8:31 asks, ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’
(Verses 4-6) David really wants ‘one thing’. Do you? He wants God’s close communion in worship and to sense His beauty. In the ‘tabernacle’, ‘temple’, or alone, he wants to know God better. We worship and do Bible study together for that same reason. All whom God saves should read the Bible seriously, personally, and with others regularly. Do you do that? It is a blessing!
(Verses 7-12) David now prays for God to hear and mercifully answer him. He seeks God daily. God is his Helper-Saviour, who will not reject or forsake him. Some parents do forsake children: not so God with those trusting Him, who now know Him and call Him ‘Heavenly Father’. When violent, lying foes oppress David, he asks God to save and lead him in God’s straight path. God and he are on each other’s side!
(Verses 13-14) David knows God will keep him to see God’s goodness in Heaven. He will ‘Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.’
