Psalm 27:1 (Fear)

“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?” (Psalm 27:1).

There is incredible safety and security knowing the Lord is in control. Every time we face trials which attempt to sink our faith, entrusting our fate to the Lord is the only course of action we should take, but oftentimes we don’t. Why?

Trusting our own strength, personal experience, or intuition seems like the right decision in the moment. When fear grips our hearts and anxiety overwhelms our minds, we tend to lean on our own understanding and forget that God is sovereign. However, what we fail to remember is that nothing happens outside of God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers” (Psalm 24:1–2).

That does not mean faith is always easy when storms of life surround us, but the Lord is always with us. Like a lighthouse shining a beacon of hope amid the darkness, we are guided home to the Father’s arms by the light of Christ which provides eternal healing to the lost and broken of this world.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19).

BEACON OF LIGHT:

I have always been fascinated by lighthouses. Growing up in the state of Michigan, they are a staple along the state’s 3,280 miles of freshwater coastline. Most people who have never been to Michigan fail to realize how massive the Great Lakes truly are. For instance, Lake Michigan is 307 miles long by 118 miles wide, Lake Huron is 183 miles long by 206 wide, and Lake Superior is 160 miles long by 350 miles wide. They are enormous bodies of water.

Lighthouses are meant to help ships navigate safely by warning them of potential danger. They cut through the darkness of night and give a secure landmark of the coastline during storms when visibility is limited. In many ways, they provide a stable point of reference to guide ships safely home to port until they return to the sea once again.

Similarly, Jesus is our beacon of light in this dark world (John 8:12). He is the great hope of all sinners and the reason we can stand boldly in the face of trial and persecution knowing our afflictions are temporary. Because of His unconditional sacrifice on the cross for our sins, we are cleansed and made whole again, enabling us to endure suffering for the sake of the Gospel.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

In Christ, we are not held hostage by fear. Rather, we take every thought captive and do not succumb to the enemy’s schemes because we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Death has no sting when we place our eternal faith in the cross of Calvary. Our sins are washed away, and we are empowered to destroy strongholds because our strength comes from the Lord alone.

That does not mean overcoming spiritual warfare is easy. We are not equipped to handle the onslaught of weapons Satan has at his disposal to thwart our efforts. He is too smart and crafty for us to defeat in our own strength, which means we must relinquish control of our lives to God and allow the Holy Spirit to fight our battles instead.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3–4).

DO NOT BE AFRAID:

Let’s face it. Trusting Jesus when the enemy is attacking us at each side and every angle is easier said than done. We can plan ahead and mentally prepare to face the enemy in the Lord’s name, but things can change quickly when bullets start flying and all we want to do is duck for cover.

No man, woman, or child can anticipate where or how the enemy will attack. Disaster can strike instantly in any form or fashion. We must always remember that the potential for calamity is around every corner. However, there are times when we do not suffer calamity because of spiritual warfare but rather as the Lord wills for our sanctification.

“I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things” (Isaiah 45:5–7).

My good friend, Creek Stewart, always says, “It’s not if but when!” In other words, the future is unpredictable and we must always be prepared for any survival scenario. For example, less than two years ago I had a massive heart attack with no health concerns or warning signs leading up to it. One year later, my home took a direct hit from an EF2 tornado! Both were life-changing events which could have rocked my faith and my family’s as well.

Instead, calamity taught me that sometimes we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death to get to the other side. Yes, experiencing a heart attack was traumatic, but it also highlighted a hereditary issue which could have killed me had I not received proper treatment to rectify the problem. Moreover, being in the path of a violent tornado was frightening, but our family and home survived to see another day!

In both cases, God taught me to cast off fear and embrace His sovereignty. For nothing takes Him by surprise, so why should I be concerned? If the Lord has my life in the palm of His hands, why should I be afraid? Perhaps that is why there are 33 verses in the Bible which contain the command, “Do not be afraid.” God does not want us held captive by fear. He wants us to trust Him instead, come what may.

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught” (Proverbs 3:25–26).

CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD:

Our strength and confidence comes from the Lord alone. Psalm 27:1 emphatically makes that truth known. However, when times get tough, we tend to lean on our own understanding, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, and assume we are well-equipped to handle our business all by ourselves.

More than anything, pride is evidence that we have a trust problem. In most cases, we rely upon our instincts and intuition, but trusting the Lord often feels like failure. Why? What makes us so prideful to assume that relinquishing control to God is a sign of weakness?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5–8).

Our knowledge is severely limited compared to God. That is why Scripture encourages us to run to Him first before defaulting into self-reliance mode. For example, we can identify moments in our past when it would have been easier to trust God than lean on our own understanding. However, what difference has that made on our lives today? Have we learned from our mistakes?

Psalm 27:1 affirms that the Lord is our stronghold, an impenetrable fortress of safety and security for us to find refuge. Therefore, when we face trials which stretch us beyond our comfort levels, we can rest secure and not be shaken because our help comes from the Lord. He alone has the power to save us, and we are wise to let Him fight our battles rather than struggle alone with them in isolation.

“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:14).

BOTTOM-LINE:

As I wrote about in Psalm 34:8, “God is our shelter from the storms of life, protecting us from danger which seeks to hurt us physically, from distress which overwhelms us emotionally, and from calamity which ultimately attempts to destroy us spiritually.” In other words, we are not alone in our struggles if we place hope and trust in Jesus Christ.

God is not interested in sharing our heart’s devotion. He is not looking to be just an option we consider either. When we do not trust Him as our ONLY source of wisdom, our faith in His Word begins to waver. Like Eve in the garden of Eden, we begin to question, “Did God actually say…?” and then wonder why things fall apart when we choose to go our own way.

In the end, trusting the Lord affirms our faith and secures our resolve in the absolute truth of Scripture. Undoubtedly, the enemy will torment our minds with fear, doubt, and worry, but we can sleep peacefully knowing the terror of night has no power to enslave us.

Christ defeated death on the cross of Calvary when He rose from the grave three days later. Therefore, our future is secure no matter what trials we may face in this world. Our confidence is in the mighty name of Jesus, and in Him alone will we commit our souls to the Father one day because He is our rock and our salvation.

“If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught” (Proverbs 3:24–26).