Photo by wisconsinpictures on Unsplash
By Mike Chaffin
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?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
4 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.
5 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.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
David continues in part of this Psalm with the theme of patience, faith, trusting God, and not living in fear. However, the main idea in this psalm is about drawing close to God. Verse 4 is the key to holiness.
Like David, sometimes in life we run into people who don’t like us. It may be folks who knew the old you before you became a Christian and do not believe you could change. They will mention your past, how you used to live, what you used to do. Perhaps they will say you are a hypocrite, a liar, a druggie, or a drunk. On the other hand, are people who just hate Christians, and if you are one, that includes you.
But don’t get angry when it happens. We aren’t to sin against others. Our journey should be marked by our courtesy to one another. Our kindness to others should be evident. Our compassion for the lost must be foremost. The world watches us and waits to say something bad about us. Our holiness, Christ’s holiness in us, is on trial.
If you are zealous for Christ, outspoken about living for and loving Christ, the attack may even come from inside the church. An old saying by cold Christians about a person on fire for Christ is, “he (or she) is too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good.” Nothing can be further from the truth.
Be God’s man or woman. A godly person is not afraid of what people say about their relationship with Christ. No one is too heavenly minded to be of no earthly good. Only heavenly minded people enjoy the fruit of the spirit with all its benefits including peace and joy in all circumstances. This is the message of Psalm 27. Stay so close to Christ that nothing can bother you as you learn to live like Christ.
A preacher once said there are two reasons someone does not know Christ. One, they have never met a Christian, or two, they have. When someone rejects Christ because of a Christian’s character or actions, the body of Christ has failed that person. Peter teaches us how to respond in 1 Peter 3:15
“You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.”
Be prepared to share your faith with others. Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. Let them see the hope you have in your life. It is the very foundation of your faith. Our hope shines like a beacon from the light of Jesus Christ in us.
Jesus said,
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NKJV).
Tell them about Jesus with gentleness and respect, not brash pride and haughtiness. They need to see Jesus in you. If they don’t, they have blinded themselves through their own hardness of heart, or through your judgmental attitude. After you approach someone and tell them about Christ, you will have brought another soul into the kingdom or, at the very least, planted a seed.
