The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom should I be afraid?
When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,
my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.
Though an army deploys against me, my heart is not afraid;
though a war breaks out against me, still I am confident.
I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple…
Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me…
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and courageous.
Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:1-4, 10, 14 (HCSB)
Lectionary texts: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Psalm 27, Philippians 3:17-4:1, Luke 13:31-35
For me, the lectionary texts this week are about believing and trusting God even when you cannot see a glimpse of His promise. It’s about driving that Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:14-18) deep into the Rock of Jesus where I have taken my stand and believing that He will keep His promise.
Genesis 15 is Abrahm receiving the promise of a descendant even when he and Sarah are far past their childbearing years. Philippians 3 is Paul exhorting us to put our minds, not only an earthly, quick-fix life but to look toward the treasures and rewards of our eternal life with Christ. And finally, the Luke 13 passage has Jesus scoffing at the Pharisees who are trying to intimidate Him to “shut up and go away†because King Herod wants to kill Him. Jesus, instead, points to the Pharisees and the rest of us (then and now) who are worried about what might happen from an earthly king instead of catching that we are missing the Messiah who is right here with us.
The LORD is the Light in my life. He shines no matter what the darkness that may try to push me off my journey and into a pit. I may see trouble coming. It may come unexpectedly. That’s a reason to spend time every day with my LORD and not just during troubles. Be prepared! In this world, it isn’t if trouble is going to come but when it comes.
And no matter how hard the troubles, there is nothing that God hasn’t overcome. Not wars. Not death. Not cancer or any other illness. Not loneliness. Nothing. God is the victor over all of it and has the strength, courage, wisdom, grace (love), mercy (forgiveness), to see me through.
Spending time with the LORD is spending time in that place that is as close to heaven as I get while I am still here on earth. When I am singing or just quietly connecting with Jesus in “our place,†the LORD is showing me that I am welcome in His house. That where He is, that is where I am going to be for all eternity.
The one phrase in Psalm 27 about “even if I am abandoned by my mom and dad†has always been such a comfort to me. In my mind, having my parents turn away from me would be the worse feeling ever. And here I have the promise that I have not been deserted – the LORD Himself still cares for me.
And finally, I am reminded again to grab on to what I know is true about my LORD – His faithfulness – and wait with courage that He gives because He is here in every trouble. I am never alone.
You’ll Never Walk Alone by Rogers & Hammerstein (1945), performed by Andre Rieu & Company
