Fear Not and Wait upon the Lord

“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?...I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” –Psalm 27: 1, 13-14. (KJV. Read Psalm 27).

After our rather intensive look at Psalm 23 over several days, we will now resume looking at others in the “Confidence” Psalms category. Today’s look is at Psalm 27. Another Psalm of David, this one seems to be later than the shepherd period of his life, perhaps while he was king and beset on every side by intrigue, rulership problems and enemies. Whatever calamity David faced, he confessed confidence and hope in the Lord. The Lord is his Light, his Strength, his Deliverer, his Companion, his Teacher, his Guide. Various verses bear out these characteristics of the ever-present God who did not forsake David, regardless of the circumstances. And God has these same blessings for us today.

In this Psalm, as David confidently voices his dependence upon God and prays to Him, we can learn from his example. Several of the verses in this psalm are prayers. Great strength lies in praying the scriptures. As we use God’s Word, praying it back to Him Who gave it, we can be assured we are praying within the will of God. The Word itself can help to alleviate our fears. How meaningful is this prayer: “Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path…” (v. 11). All too often we want instantaneous answers to our prayers. In this Psalm, David teaches us an important principle, and he states it twice, which means it is very important, pay attention! “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, upon the Lord” (v. 14). Waiting for answers to our prayers can be a time to strengthen us in our faith, to ready us for the blessings God is preparing for us, and to lead us to be more receptive to the best possible solution for whatever challenge is helping us to grow into a stronger person. After waiting in expectancy, we, as David, will be able to offer sacrifices of joy and praises (v. 6). In the meantime, we are to “be of good courage” for God alone can strengthen the heart.

Waiting can sometimes be hard, especially to persons who are impatient in nature.

Paul the Apostle, like David, knew it was best to patiently wait and give thanks for all things: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you…Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18, 24). Fear not; wait upon the Lord!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, June 9, 2010