True Declaration of Faith over Fear

Psalms 27:1-14
A Psalm of David.

1 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?

2 When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

4 One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.

5 For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When You said, "Seek My face,"
My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."

9 Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the LORD will take care of me.

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.

14 Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!

This song of overflowing joy in the LORD is a declaration of faith founded on God’s word and faithful character demonstrated over and over to His people.  The psalmist has true faith over fear because God is his salvation and the light which guides him in the face of conflict and adversaries.  Since God is his strength for life itself, why be afraid?  This true faith over fear is not foolishly based on ignoring the challenges and dangers of life as we see in today’s world as a name and claim attempt to prove one’s own strength, but is humble trust in God’s providence and sovereign grace against actual adversity because we are God’s people.  When enemies come against us, we do not wage war as they do (2 Corinthians 10:4-6), but having confidence in God to deliver us, over and out of our fear.  When trouble comes, we should be like the psalmist sings here beginning in the fourth verse, desiring to be in God’s place of worship in the heart personally and together as the body of Christ corporately.  There we see His beauty in praises and pray for guidance and strength to trust more as we do our part with the means of common grace He provides, such as in knowledge given to doctors to protect us and medicines to heal us.  Out trust is in the Giver of that knowledge and skill, not in the men and women who appear to create medicine and treatments to help us.  When we then find ourselves in troubled times, we can read here how to cope by trusting in His protection and His care which places us high in His love and care as if on a mountain for protection from enemies.  God will lift us up (James 4:10) as we humbly trust and walk with Him.  Our response will be to become living sacrifices with acceptable offerings (Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5) to our Lord to validate our outward vocal praises.  We cry out for mercy and relief, only to hear as David did that we seek Him after He first commands us to do so.  We sheep hear His voice when called, we do not bleat to seek until we hear our Master’s voice calling us to Himself.  He is our saving help when no one else can.  When all leave us, He cares for us.  This is why we should continue to ask for and seek guidance from His word as His Spirit within us leads and guides with illuminating promptings day by day.  This is even in the face of slander and lies.  Like the psalmist, we should not lose heart, despairing in adversity, but rather trust in God’s goodness to follow in His time and way.  We then patiently wait on the Lord, courageously, and wait for strength from Christ alone and not of our own making or of psychological reasoning.  This submission to God’s providence by active faith as living sacrifices is our true declaration of faith over fear from a biblical perspective.  It is not trumped up empty self-trust in our imagined strength of faith by proud words which do not place ourselves in God’s hands as we do our part of obedience within the confines of the common grace and provision given men to help each other.  May we learn this lesson in this present time of adversity and testing of our faith.  Amen.