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To read:
Psalm 27
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.
One thing I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold 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 set me high on a rock.
Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
"Come," my heart says, "seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will take me up.
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! |
To think about:
“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? “
This first verse of Psalm 27 is included as one of the “Best Loved
Bible Verses on Gifts, T-shirts, Mugs, and Posters.” If you were to
go to a website which sells this merchandise, you could see this Bible
verse on a vast array of these commercially sold items. It is a
powerful verse that is a comfort, if one thinks about the whole
picture this psalm represents. The Swedish hymn writer, Karolina W.
Sandell-Berg, wrote a very personal hymn about this Psalm. When she
was twenty-six years old, Lina and her father, Rev. Jonas Sandell
who was a Lutheran minister, were on a boat trip on the east coast
of Sweden. Her father pitched overboard and drowned before Lina’s
eyes. She was grief stricken. As a part of processing her grief, she
wrote several hymns. Probably her most famous was “Children of the
Heavenly Father.” However, a lesser known hymn is “Day by Day.” This
hymn was based on her personal experience about the daily strength
the Lord provides for us, his struggling children.
“Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.”
The words of this psalm provided the comfort for Lina to go forward
when her life had become almost too large to bear. These words have
become one of the “best loved Bible verses” even in our secular
society. We need to keep them in our heart. They are a comfort for
us as we reflect upon the journey of Jesus throughout this Lenten
season; we know what he knew—the assurance that because “The Lord is
my light and my salvation,” I have nothing to fear. |
