Slices
Prepare
Recognising God’s care for you, bring all your anxieties before him honestly now.
Bible passage
Of David.
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?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
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.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Saviour.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not hand me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Explore
There is dynamic interplay at work in this psalm, between confidence in God and seeking after God. The psalmist’s confidence in God (v 1) drives him to seek God’s presence (vs 4,7,8) which, in turn, serves to consolidate his confidence in God (vs 13,14). This affirmation of trust in God is occasioned by acute adversity – a matter of life or death (vs 2,3). The precise nature of the threat remains unspecified, so this psalm is appropriate for use in any circumstances that tempt us to surrender faith to fear.
The focus of God’s presence for the psalmist is the Temple (vs 4,5). His prayer that God will come to his aid and guide him through the present crisis is set in the context of his desire to continue to be able to enjoy encountering the divine presence in the house of the Lord. However, this is not something the psalmist does in isolation. To talk of the Temple as he does is to reference the worship life of Israel. Trust and confidence in God are renewed here in community – and this psalm (like all psalms) was provided and preserved for community use.
In light of this, the worship life of our churches should be an essential means of seeking, and finding fresh confidence in God, doing so in honest acknowledgement of those terrors that threaten our trust in him.
Respond
Meditate on Psalm 27:1. As you do so, note how emphasising different words affects its power and your understanding.
Deeper Bible study
Dear God, I thank you for sending Jesus to make yourself known. Thank you that you are the light of the world and our salvation. We worship at your feet.
One interesting feature of New Testament study is looking at Old Testament quotes that originally referred to God but which New Testament writers ascribe to Jesus. An example is John the Baptist saying, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’.1 Jewish readers assumed that ‘the Lord’ was God but, for John and the Gospel writers, it is Jesus. Because Jesus is the Light of the world and its Saviour,2 we can reread this psalm replacing ‘Lord’ with ‘Jesus’. As we do so, it comes alive in a fresh way.
David’s song speaks of God as our Light, Saviour, Deliverer and Protector (vs 1–3,5,6). David states his confidence, his desire for intimate relationship with God (v 4), to honour God with sacrifices, to be heard by God (v 7), to seek him (v 8), never to be forsaken by God (v 9), to be taught and led by him (v 11) and to be protected by him (v 12). He states his faith that he will see God in the land of the living and cries out to listeners to be strong and courageous and wait for God (vs 13,14).
When we put Jesus into the psalm, it takes on fresh power. It is Jesus, David’s descendant, the Logos become flesh, who is the Light of the world and its Saviour. God has poured into us the Spirit of God and Christ. Because he is with us in a palpable way, we are inwardly reassured of God’s deliverance and protection. We experience that deep relationship with God and we walk in it. We are taught and led by the Spirit of Jesus. We respond by waiting on him and courageously giving our lives as living sacrifices in his service. He promises us eternal life; we are never forsaken! We will gaze upon his beauty in the resurrection.
Explore these texts: John 14:26; Romans 8:11–14. Reread the psalm with Jesus as Lord. Respond as led.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Genesis 3,4; Matthew 2
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for the ongoing development for the Bible App being produced by SU Estonia. Pray that doors will open for international agreements, for professional help on a volunteer basis, necessary funds, and wisdom for content development.
