Psalm 27:1-3, 11-14 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? When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—

they shall stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war

rise up against me, yet I will be confident. . . .Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path

because of my enemies. Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen

against me, and they are breathing out violence. I believe that I shall see 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!

T he first two questions in this psalm are rhetorical, of course, but they do raise the

issue of what in this life do you and I most fear? Who or what causes you to lie

awake at night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep? What causes you to load up on antacids,

tighten the muscles in your neck, and leave you stressed and unpleasant to be around? I sup-

pose each of us could make a list, long or short, of things and persons in our lives over which

we have fretted and worried, especially after we had done all that we could to protect our-

selves and those we love—financial concerns, health problems, legal issues, kids who stay out

too late at night, educational challenges. You do what you can do, but there comes a time

when, in spite of your best efforts, you feel like David standing before Goliath—so small and

totally vulnerable.

I’ve heard people say that they have absolutely no difficulty in giving over into the

Lord’s care those things that cause them the greatest worry and anxiety. The problem for them

is that they keep taking them back. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the LORD! But the Lord doesn’t always work on our timetable or according to our plans,

and when you are standing on the edge of the precipice with the enemy fast approaching,

when you have tread water as long as you possibly can, it is hard to wait for the Lord. What

this psalm assures us of, though, is that our waiting is never in vain. We can be strong and let

our hearts take courage, because we know that the Lord will never let us down. I recall praying

with a friend before he was to undergo heart surgery and he told me, “However it turns out, I

will be OK.” That is the faith of one who waits for the Lord.

© J. Dudley Weaver, Jr. 2013

Daily Devotional

Reflections on the Psalms