“Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

“Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid?”

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Our critical question is found in the first verse of Psalm 27, but note this verse in light of the assault on Ukraine:

Psa. 27:3   Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

We pray that many, many of those Ukrainian citizens and soldiers will be those who know the Lord, or will come to know the Lord, that they might have this kind of courage.

But the critical question is for all of us as we face different situations in life. If we examine the first verse, we are confronted with situations of darkness and destruction. Counter to this, we find our Lord to be, not just the giver of Light in the face of darkness, but He is our Light. And likewise, He doesn’t just give salvation, but He is our Salvation.

This is not to lessen the danger or threat. Verse 2 of this great psalm talks about evil-doers, adversaries, and foes. Whether these are actual physical entities, or whether they are spiritual, or mental - it matters not. What matters is that God is more than able to defeat them, and to continue to be our Light and Salvation.

Verse 4 paints a picture of being able to gaze in wonder at the beauty of the Lord, even if the rest of our vision be clouded or darkened. Think of Jonah in the “great fish.” It had to be the darkest hole in the world in which to be “hidden,” or imprisoned. And yet, as we read Jonah 2, the poem from the gullet of the great fish, we find that Jonah’s ability to see was actually greater in that darkness than when he was on dry land. Why? Perhaps sometimes we see God better when we can’t see anything else.

Verse 5 paints another picture, when we are being hunted down like a dog. It is the day of trouble, and we don’t know how many of those days are going to be strung together. But standing as outposts all around that day of trouble are the safe places of God, described as “His shelter,” in which we are hidden; “the cover of His tent,” under which we are provided and cared for; and “high upon a rock,” where we are given a firm and safe place to stand, out of reach of the enemies arrows or safely above the raging storm. 

Our God is our Light and our Salvation. Don’t be afraid!