'Sharing Christ's love in deed and truth.' Apostle John
Albany Presbyterian Church
Albany Presbyterian Church
No doubt these are difficult times where even believers in Christ can give in to fears. Though we know who holds the future – Our Lord – we can focus on what is happening in the present instead of Him. Psalm 27 is a Psalm of confidence and courage that reminds us that God is in control, and because that’s true, we have an anchor for our souls in the storms of life. The Psalm begins where we are asking the question “whom shall I fear.” We can look around at many things that might lead us to fear but the Psalmist is reminded THE LORD is our light and our salvation so “Whom shall I ultimately fear.” The answer: no one because God never changes. Much like a trapeze artist who has a net below him, is able to fly through the air with more confidence, so does the Christian have confidence even in dangerous times because of the God who is with us! Romans 8 reminds us If God is for us who can be against us! James Johnston in his commentary says: “We can be calm and confident, courageous, and brave. How? Because God gives us Himself and if we have Him we have no need to fear.” Over the next few weeks through these devotionals based on Psalm 27 I want to give you some key truths from this Psalm about God and the Christian life that anchor us in Christ in these trying times. First of all you see the power of God and the resulting confidence this gives us as we look to Him. V. 1-2 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” The word fear is used 3 times in the first 3 verses. The point is that while there are definitely fears we could give into there is a much greater fear we should have that overcomes those fears: the fear of almighty God. David pictures God as light, salvation, and his stronghold and together these focus on God’s protection and power. We’re in times of darkness but David reminds us God is our light. God is the only one who can help us see with courage in these times. When you’re walking on a dark trail you need a light to avoid falling. The fact is, it seems we can’t see in these times but it is the Light of the Lord that exposes our fears for what they are. Our fears are real but the Light of Christ and His Word helps us to see and walk forward with confidence knowing that God will direct our paths. Only God’s Light in Christ and His Word reminds us He is still in control when life is spinning out of control. Recall Psalm 23:4 – “Even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is our light in the darkness”. While this is the only Old Testament passage that calls God the Light we know that the New Testament pictures Christ as the Light over and over.
Jesus said in John 8 that those who trust in Him will never walk in darkness. David also says that God is His salvation. The focus here is on God’s power in delivering us and rescuing us. How we need to remember this in times like this. We know that God is our ultimate Saviour in Christ who came to save us from our sins but God is also a Saviour by nature and reaches into our lives to deliver us as His people call upon Him. What we must be reminded of is that God Himself as David says here is our Salvation so we have reason for great confidence in Him. We are in times where we can feel as if there is no one to rescue us from what we face. The fact is many times we may feel that human ingenuity and wisdom will make a way but right now people wonder how will things get better, how will there be an answer, a cure to this dreaded virus. It’s especially in times like this that we need to remember who our God is: The Saviour – The Deliverer – The Stronghold and refuge of our lives. Will we call out to Him fervently?
God’s Blessings,
Pastor Ben