Psalms 27

Psalm 27

The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

 ¹The LORD is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold^[a] of my life;
   of whom shall I be afraid?

 ²When evildoers assail me
   to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
   it is they who stumble and fall.

 ³ Though an army encamp against me,
   my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
   yet^[b] I will be confident.

 ⁴ One thing have I asked of the LORD,
   that will I seek after:
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 inquire^[c] in his temple.

 ⁵For he will hide me in his shelter
   in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
   he will lift me high upon a rock.

 ⁶And now my head shall be 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.

 ⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
   be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸You have said, "Seek^[d] my face."My heart says to you,
   "Your face, LORD, do I seek."<sup>[e]

 9</sup> Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
   O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
¹⁰For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
   but the LORD will take me in.

 ¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD,
   and lead me on a level path
   because of my enemies.
¹² Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
   for false witnesses have risen against me,
   and they breathe out violence.

 ¹³I believe^[f] that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living!
¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
   wait for the LORD!

I think that Psalm 27 is pretty jam packed. David is calling out to God and asking Him to never leave him. When God is with David, he is fearless and without any doubt. When David's enemies come to attack, God will protect him and cause his enemies to and stumble. In verse 3, he speaks of the calm God give him. "Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet^[b] I will be confident." When his enemies come near, he is without fear for he knows that his God will keep him safe. The Message translation says in the second part of verse 3, "When all hell breaks loose, I am collected and cool."

David says that he asks for only one thing, that God will keep him in His house and gaze upon the beauty of the Lord forever. For this is the only place, David says, where he feels safe and where he can find silence in a noisy world. In verse 6, David is shouting and singing songs of praise. Songs that say how God has lifted him above his enemies. David is heading to God singing anthems of praise to Him and making music to God.

From verses 7 to 14, he is asking God to never leave him or discard him. I love the words David uses in verse 10, "For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in." The Message says, "My father and mother have walked out and left me, but God took me in." This is so applicable and relatable! I see that so often with kids at my church. Maybe their parents are still there but they don't feel like they are there. The parents have given up on these kids, or maybe they have even failed them. So in the best cases, they come looking for a God to take them in and give them the security that they have always longed for. 

David asks God to keep him in the light and well lit path. And while on that path David knows he will see God's goodness on the earth. And his last words seem to be a call of encouragement, "Stay with God! Take heart and don't quit. I will say it again: stay with God." So keep strong and don't give up. Because God's goodness moves the mountains. And He will always be there to pick you up when you can't do it on your own, which is a great deal of the time.