Daily Bread for October 9, 2010
Taufoou, Anne
Psalm 27
Key verse- Psalm 27:1
“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?”
Prayer: Father in heaven, most gracious and wonderful is Your name. Thank You for gathering us together as sisters to come in the early hours of the day, to offer up our praise and worship. I thank You especially for Your Son Jesus, who saves, who redeems and loves us so much despite our sinful ways. We come through His atoning blood and we worship and praise You. Lord, bless this hour of prayer to be filled with joy and greatness of Your presence. Allow us to open our hearts and receive a crumb of this morning’s daily bread to feed and nourish our hungry spirits. Bless this Daily Bread and testimony I’m about to share, that You will speak and move each heart through this morning’s Psalm. Lord, hear our prayers. Thank You again, I pray and ask all these only in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Psalm 27 is among the most popular Psalms in the Bible. This Psalm is counted among the favorites of many Christians, and it is no wonder. It’s a glorious Psalm of praise and declaration of faith by David. David certainly knows what it means to be in a time of trouble, as it seems that so much of his life was filled with trouble. Yet his heart is continually filled with praise to God. Instead of seeking vengeance against his enemies, David is continually seeking help from the Lord. This Psalm compares to Psalm 23 in a similar way of how David trusts in God’s leading and provision. Psalm 23:1 says, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Here, David declares, “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 23 he proclaims God as the Shepherd, whereas in today’s passage the LORD is light, salvation and the stronghold of life. We certainly see David’s life with God was a really deep and personal relationship. He was a man after God’s own heart. So as for us today, we must build a closer and personal relationship with our Father. Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” We have nothing to lose, but so much to gain, because He is God of all. Nahum 1:5 says, “The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it.” The LORD is the stronghold of our lives, strength beyond all compares, strength that is a safety, protection, and a stronghold for us to live by. The LORD is the city of refuge against the avenger of blood. As long as we remain IN Him, we are safe from the enemy. The LORD is the safe harbor. When the storms of life arise, we need only steer our ship into His port and we are safe from the battering wind and rain. As I read and meditated on this passage, I’ve come to notice that “Shall” is often used. “Shall” is mostly used as a legal term, or it is a legal term. But through Christ we are no longer bound by the Law. When I was a sinner, fear had legal claim upon me, but now that I have been bought by the precious blood of the Lamb, I am no longer bound by fear! Jesus commands my destiny. I can walk in humble confidence. (vs.2-3) “When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” David knew that the fight is not against flesh and blood, and true adversary is the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. David really knew that “when God is for him, no one can be against him?” We also are in the same way. We are in Christ, and even death itself cannot defeat Him. No weapon formed against us shall prosper with God on our side. Another similar comparison we see in this morning’s Psalm with Psalm 23 is the next verses, “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. 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.”In Psalm 23, David praises and claims this promise in verse 6 saying, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The deepest and primary desire of our hearts should be our relationship and nearness to God. His shelter, His tent – speaks of closeness to the Father. Jesus is THE Rock upon which we stand in safety. Dwelling in His house, in His safeness, hiding in the shelter of His tabernacle. Goodness and love to follow every day as we gaze upon His beauty is the promise given to us this morning. “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. Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.” Our praise and our worship of God will elevate us above our circumstances. What father would ignore his child when he/she cries out to him? Certainly not the Heavenly Father!
“My heart says of you, "Seek his face! Your face, LORD, I will seek. 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 Savior.” We don’t seek the Lord only because He commands it, but because we love Him. And that is exactly what David did. The Lord has commanded us to seek His face, so He will not hide Himself from us. Jeremiah 29:13 reads, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.” No earthly relationship can ever compare to the relationship we have with our Heavenly Father. Proverbs 12:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Not because we want an easy life, but because life is treacherous enough with all the evil in the world. “The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful,” Proverbs 12:22. Praise God for Jesus, who came to save! David wraps up this Psalm saying, “I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Then he says, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” God wants our worship and devotion NOW, not later, not tomorrow, or tonight. He wants it now. In the moment, in His presence, now. We don’t have to wait until we’re face to face before Him in heaven. His goodness is evident all around us. Just as the Lord told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. The battle is the Lord’s and He has already won! Our role is obedience, to be patient, take heart, to wait and hope in the Lord through our obedience. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
As we face times of trouble and temptation our heart should be focused on God and not on those around us. Too often we are more concerned about what others think rather than what God sees in our actions and in our heart. Work to please God; cry out to Him for help. When our lives please God, then it does not matter what anyone else thinks. As I was writing this Daily Bread, a memory came to mind of how God was always and is always in my life. This memory goes back to the last time I went home. It was the Christmas before last year. I remembered it was halfway into the flight, I was reading Psalm 103. I clearly remember this, because I wrote a note of this in my Bible of the flight attendant that walked by and noticed that I had the Bible open. He stopped and spurred up a conversation about the Bible and asked what passage I was reading. Long story short, he admired the fact that I was a young believer and that I had taken the time in such a moment and place to meditate on God’s words. He said I was the first person he’s ever seen read a Bible on an airplane. He thought I was afraid of flying or something. What inspired me most about this was what he said before he went on with his work, “God’s gonna get us home safely!” To be honest, I wasn’t reading because of anything like that, of, crashing or afraid of flying or anything. I really was just reading the Bible because I had no other books to read and I was bored. I set it aside to contemplate what I had been reading. I remember looking out the window of the plane and I saw a beautiful sunset. The horizon was a ribbon of dusty orange and pale yellow blending into a deep blue. My thoughts turned to the glorious beauty with which God surrounds us. As night settled and the ribbon of light slowly got smaller, I followed the colors up into the inky night. There, alone in the heavens, was a star. It reminded me of God's constant presence in our lives. I kept gazing at the star and reflecting on God's overwhelming goodness. As the plane began to turn, the ribbon on the horizon faded to black and I lost sight of the star. How often has that happened in my life? How often have I turned from God only to find darkness and despair? Then the plane circled again. The horizon began to show color, and the solitary star came back into view. The star hadn't moved; I had. God doesn't move from our lives. It dawned on me, God is an Always God. God is constant, always watching, always waiting, always ready to shine upon us when we turn from the darkness and seek God's face. You see, He never fails! He is our Light. He is our Salvation. Of whom shall we fear? He is the stronghold of our lives. Of whom shall we be afraid? We shouldn’t be afraid of anything, except our One and only Sovereign, Almighty and Omnipotent God! Jesus is the Light and Salvation. He is the stronghold of our lives. This morning, I pray that we may pray as David did, and proclaim God’s promises in our lives. To dwell in the house of the Lord, to gaze upon His beauty, and seek Him face to face. To know His goodness and grace to us through His Son Jesus Christ and the salvation He has given us through His blood. It was God’s word that caught that flight attendant’s attention. Just as so, through His word and scriptures I pray we can see Him face to face as we seek Him in our daily lives. May we renew our faith daily through this Psalm and be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
One Word: The LORD is my light and my salvation— The LORD is the stronghold of my life— I have nothing to be afraid nor fear.
