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?
When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
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.
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.
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.
Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.â€
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.â€
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!
Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.
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.
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.         Psalm 27 (NLT)
How is your week going? I would say that my week is “normalâ€. There have been some encouraging, praising moments. There have been some difficult moments. And this psalm covers them all!
In reading this psalm I am once again shown how important spending time with God can be to what I focus on and how I deal with the total of my life. When I stay connected to the vine, like Jesus told me (John 15), I keep God’s wisdom and His truths and promises in my heart and mind instead of making a giant out of my problems. Any problem compared to my Creator is minuscule and that keeps me looking forward with the correct focus.
Jesus showed by His example that taking time on a mountain or by a lake or just off in a quiet place will be time well-invested in our spiritual health. That may mean getting up earlier in the morning or turning off the television at night, but I submit that there is no better way to recharge and relax.
When burdens press down, problems press in, and voices press on, deep breathe and remember – Call on Jesus.
