Psalm 27:1 – Are You Afraid?

“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?” (Psalm 27:1)

This is a great verse to have close at hand to help us make sense of our fear. There’s plenty in our world to make us fearful if we allow it. It’s harder to fear when we picture God as our fortress, providing all the light we need to claim our salvation. Our problems seem so much smaller when we imagine God towering over them.

Context (Psalm 27): The psalmist, presumably David, writes about his fear of being attacked by his enemies. We might have similar fears, yet our enemies will look a lot different. David uses several images in this psalm to conjure up trust in our mighty God who stands to protect and guide. Just as David used this psalm to calm himself, we can as well.

So why are we afraid these days? I’m sure everyone has a different “enemy” attempting to close in. David asks the question we should be asking, “how can we still be afraid when we know God is our light in the darkness?” We can easily forget it is by God’s grace we have been saved. If we trust and believe that we should also trust God to see us to that salvation day, by our side all the way.

The second part of our memory verse gives us a great image to cling to when we are afraid. How do you picture God as a fortress? Perhaps a mighty compound, complete with surrounding walls to protect us from danger. There are plenty of places to hide and be safe in such a place of refuge.

I don’t know about you, but knowing we have a refuge with God is wonderful. I find I’m in that safe place when I’m reflecting on God’s word. It’s like I shut out the world’s noise, even though it still burdens my heart. I feel like what breaks God’s heart breaks mine, too. The more time I spend in the Bible, the more I learn what those things are.

The psalmist asks a similar question about fear, only this time he’s trembling. His fear meter is pushing the limit now, so acknowledging God as a fortress helps us imagine the security we have in God’s arms. David needed that reassurance, and his sharing teaches us, too.

If you’re not fearful now, chances are very good that something will happen to you in your lifetime. This verse can help strengthen you in those moments of weakness. God has your back and doesn’t want anything to happen to you. How do you respond to that kind of love?

Let’s pray. Father, you are my strong tower, my fortress in the storms of life. I feel safe in your loving protection. Help me not to let uncertainly hold me back from sharing more about you. Give me the courage I need to face my enemies and let your light shine brighter through me. It’s an honor and a privilege to serve you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.