Psalm 27 - My light and my salvation

Is it naive to be confident in a time of uncertainty and challenge? It depends. Some people are naturally pessimistic about life. On a nice warm day they are warning you that the next shower probably isn’t far away. Other people are natural optimists, the kind of people who always think that things are going to ‘clear up’ and that tomorrow will be better than today.

The Bible encourages us to be neither pessimistic nor optimistic about life. The Bible shows us what it looks like to be realistic, realistic about who we are, what we face, and most importantly who God is in the midst of it all.

Psalm 27 is a Psalm marked by confidence. The theme of ‘confidence’ brackets the Psalm, appearing in vs 3 and vs 13. David opens by identifying the source of his confidence. It’s important to see what David’s confidence is based upon. He isn’t confident about the circumstances that lie ahead. In fact he is realistic about what might lie ahead. The wicked might advance against him (vs 2), an army might besiege him (vs 3), war might break out against him (vs 3). 

David doesn’t deny that these things are very real possibilities, indeed to some degree he sees them as very strong possibilities. Interestingly David’s primary concern isn’t even to ask God that these things won’t happen. In vs 4 David zones in on the one thing that He is asking God for and that he is praying for. David is asking that the LORD will allow him to dwell in His house all the days of his life. This prayer is developed in vs 9 where David pleads that God will not hide His face from him. David’s confidence is not circumstantial (things will not turn out to be too bad). David’s confidence is relational (God is going to be with him come what may and God will shelter him with His strong presence (vs 5). Standing in between Good Friday and Easter Day here is a confidence to hold onto and to live by.

Prayer: Today make David’s words your own:

‘I remain confident of this; 

I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart

And wait for the LORD.’ (Psalm 27 vs 13-14)