King David wrote Psalm 27 when he was in deep, deep trouble, everything seemed to be coming in on him from all around, and he sought refuge in the Lord, which formed the words of this psalm. I have selected four verses. 1, 5, 10 and 14 to reflect on, in which you can sense David’s great despair.
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?
In verse 1, David claimed that the Lord was his light and salvation. Today Christians can claim God is their light and salvation with even greater certainty due to the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, which saved us from darkness and eternal judgment.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
God promises that he will hide us in times of danger; he describes it as being hidden away high in the rocks and well away from our enemies, see the photo above. It doesn’t mean we won’t have troubles; everyone faces challenges in life, and difficulties may come, but God will protect us, and the problems will pass by.
When St Peter was imprisoned and guarded by sixteen soldiers, an angel of the Lord came to him in the night and walked him right out of that jail, straight by all the guards, who did not see Peter passing by. This was because God was protecting him, as he would also protect us if we turned to Him.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
Verse 10 of Psalm 27 suggests that David had been abandoned by those closest to him. Sometimes we feel that we are not approved of or appreciated by those closest to us.
But we don’t need to spend our lives seeking out the approval of others because God is always there for us. He knew us before we were born; he knows the number of hairs on our head and has a plan for our lives. He wants us to fulfill the dreams he has for our eternal destinies.
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jer 29:11 NRSV
Let God, who knows you better than anyone else in the world, validate your worth; the God who loves you just the way he made you.
Keep on doing your best for the pure love of Christ; because at the end of our lives, it will be God’s opinion that matters.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
