“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
Ancient cities were defended by strong stone fortresses like this one in the DR. Going further back to the days of King David, strong fortifications, secure hiding places, were essential for his life and military success. A word like “stronghold” that is metaphorical for us was quite literal for David. Yet it’s clear in Psalm 27 that David’s confidence was not in stones and soldiers but in the Lord his God.
“When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.” Psalm 27:2-3
How can we have a fearless faith? How can we stand firm even in the face of great danger and terrible betrayal?
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: 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 inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:4-5
The only way to have a FEARLESS FAITH is to have a FOCUSED FAITH. Though opposition and danger was all around him he chose not to focus on that, but to fix his heart and mind on the Lord. He made that his “one thing.” He chose to “dwell” in the presence of God even when he was far from the central place of worship. He chose to “gaze” on the goodness and glory of God even when armies were marching against him.
Do you know God this way?
A good exercise when you are struggling with worry and fear is to start listing what you know to be true of God. Read through Psalm 27 and start your list. Often what we do is focus on and document all the problems we have, analyzing and meditating on the many ways thing have and could go wrong. Is it any wonder that we are a culture plagued by anxiety and depression? Instead of dwelling on our problems and the “what ifs” of the future, we should choose to study the character of God.
- God is LIGHT – the revelation of all truth
- God is SALVATION – the true deliverer of all people
- God is STRONGHOLD – the only secure place, now and forever
And that is just verse 1. Choose any Psalm or any passage of the Bible and begin listing, one after another, what you know to be true about God. You will find your thoughts shifting from fear to faith; from worry to wonder; from anxiety to assurance.
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14