Psalm 27:1-6, 14 (NLT)
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
The one thing I ask of the Lord—
the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
…
Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Devotion
The psalm’s author only wants to live with God, follow His teachings, and live a life based on God. The author mentions enemies a lot in this passage, and how they are always looking for him. This got me thinking about what enemies we might face. There are physical enemies, like people who don’t like you or those who are purposefully unkind to you. But I think mental enemies like anxiety take up more space in our lives. We have so much to be anxious about, like all the ongoing conflicts, our jobs, and our health just to name a few.
Another key time in this passage was at the end, when the author talks about how we should have patience. In face of these problems or enemies, having patience is tough, especially during hard times.
I am not a patient person, and in the face of my problems I am especially impatient. But, with the knowledge of the last verse, we must be patient. By spending more time with God, we can be patient as we know God recognizes our pain and already has a solution. I have learned that when I have a conflict with a friend, rather than talking to them immediately and only speaking through my emotions, I wait a little bit to address the problem when I am not just angry. In that time of waiting, I can go to God with my feelings and thoughts through prayer or reading my Bible. Prioritizing time with God doesn’t have to be a long time; it can be moments throughout the day.
Prayer
God, when I feel overwhelmed, help me breathe and find peace. Calm my mind and ease my heart. Give me strength for today, and remind me that I’m not alone. Amen.
Jackie Hager