Psalm 27

A Psalm of David.

1 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?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.

4 One thing I have desired 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 behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion;
in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
he shall set me upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up
above mine enemies round about me;
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice;
have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, "Seek ye my face,"
my heart said unto thee, "Thy face, LORD, will I seek."
9 Hide not thy face far from me;
put not thy servant away in anger;
thou hast been my help;
leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
then the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD,
and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not unto the will of mine enemies;
for false witnesses are risen up against me,
and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see
the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the LORD;
be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart;
wait, I say, on the LORD.

JW: David declares his confidence in God, ver. 1-3; his desire to be in the house of God, ver. 4-6; he prays for light and salvation, ver. 7-12; and exhorts others to wait upon God, ver. 13, 14.

1: 'Light' - My counsellor in all my difficulties, and my comforter and deliverer in all my distresses. 'Strength' - The supporter and preserver of my life.

4: 'Dwell...' - Have opportunity of constant attendance upon God. 'To behold' - That there I may delight myself in contemplation of thy amiable and glorious majesty, and of thy infinite wisdom, holiness, justice, truth, and mercy.

11: 'Because of' - That I may neither fall into their hands by my folly, nor give them any occasion of triumphing over me.

13: 'The living' - David was thus earnestly desirous of this mercy in this life, not because he placed his portion in these things, but because the truth and glory of God were highly concerned in making good the promise of the kingdom to him.

No experience or feeling builds up confidence like victory. Nothing. David's enemies came to kill him. They stumbled and fell. David, with confidence, expresses whom shall I fear?...of whom shall I be afraid?...my heart shall not fear...in this I will be confident. In what? That God is his light, salvation, and strength. When we have this confidence, we'll realize that God grants us grace and strength to endure the darts that the enemy throws at us. A pattern of defeat is demoralizing and exhausting, but just one victory can do a world of difference to turn the tide. There's a key here. God is the psalmist's 'salvation,' or put differently, God rescued and delivered him.

Nowhere here is there an intimation that the psalmist achieved the victory on his own. Christ needed the Father to bring him back to life to secure victory. Addiction is like death. We're trapped. We need someone to roll the stone away, breathe life into us and get us the hell out of there. I hope in this: 'death and all of his friends' are stumbling. One day they will be fallen for good. But we can taste that now...in the land of the living. Deliverance. We can't set ourselves free. Sanctification isn't sin management. It's being set free from it. It involves discipline, and we're called to follow and take up a cross, but we're not alone and we have a Captain. We have no need to fear. Be of good courage, and God shall strengthen your heart.