Psalm 27

Psalm 27 (NRSV)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strongholda of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.

Lord,

The poet prays, “Yet I will be confident”. And his confidence is grounded in the reality that “the Lord is the stronghold of my life.”

Today I pray with the poet, “You are the stronghold of my life. You are the one on whom I rely. You are the source of strength and wisdom and grace.

The days come, as they came for the poets of the Psalms, that are filled with danger and very good reasons to be afraid. How many do we know who are: Facing death, gravely ill, fearful for a child or spouse or parent, struggling with the current economic melt-down, jobless or homeless or barely squeaking by in some other way, caught in webs spun by immoral and unethical people. The harsh truth is that bad things really do happen to good people.

The poets knew well the harsh realities of life in this broken and sinful world and still this poet prays, “The Lord is the stronghold of my life…Yet I will be confident.” Let this be my prayer today.

As we move towards Christmas morning and the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we are aware of your greater remedy for the darkness in this world. We are aware of the one who opened, in fresh ways, the doors of heaven so that we might again experience the grace of your spirit and the salvation that you want for all.

In the days before Christmas, I say again to you, You are the stronghold of my life and I will be confident.

PERSONAL PRAYERS:

Remember the hymn that says, “Give to the winds thy fears, hope and be undismayed….”
Ask for the assurance of the presence the gives confidence for today.
Name 5 people who are struggling with life’s harsh realities and ask God to be present to each one.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.

a Or refuge