The Ninth Sunday after Trinity,
July 28, 2024
Psalm 27:1 (KJV) “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Part 1
In the whole world, and even in our personal worlds, there are many scary things happening. What is going to happen to my fellowship of believers, my church? What is going to happen to our country? What is going to happen in my personal life? We have anxieties troubles, pains. We have enemies like the devil, and the world and even our sinful flesh within us that want to lead us into darkness and all the things that happen in darkness, away from the light of God’s Word.
Psalm 27 tells us where King David got his comfort and encouragement and hope: From the Lord God.
Light is a very positive, encouraging thing, warming and comforting, and suggests joy and happiness. Darkness and the unknown is scary. We need light in our lives – physical light and especially spiritual light.
David is speaking of more than just physical light. He is talking about the things that guide him, that are his joy, his life, and his hope. He is talking about what we read about in Psalm 97: “Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.” Christ came to redeem all mankind from sin and eternal death. Remember that heaven is the goal of every believer in Christ. And that idea will remove any fear that this world can give us.
When your heart is truly established in God, when you daily seek to follow his Word, what or whom could you fear? When one continually takes refuge in God what reason is there for ever being afraid of anything?
Where do you find your light? Is it anyplace other than the Word of God? The temptation is there every day, with so many influences on us. Other humans are telling us “do this”, “think this way”, “this is right”, and their advice doesn’t always agree with what God tells us. People look to other humans for advice, often to people who have no use for and no respect for the truth of the Word of God. And our sinful flesh wants to twist God’s Word to say what we want to hear. So we must be daily reminded that His Word “is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 and continue to search the scriptures to find what we need for our lives.
Lord, take away our fears!
Prayer
O God, whose never-failing providence guides all things both in heaven and on earth, we humbly beg of thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which will be profitable for us. All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord. Amen
