A Faith Declaration

Psalm 27:1 (NKJV): 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?

If anyone had a reason to fear, it was David. When he wasn’t fighting a war, he was running for his life. Despite the terrors that faced him daily, he had the grace to declare verse 1. David had plenty of reasons to fear: King Saul, foreign armies, traitors, even his own sons years later.   

How was David able to stare death in its face without fear? He was not a ‘positive’ person; neither did he ‘believe in himself.’ Someone much bigger and greater gave him the confidence. As a result, he was able to make an exuberant declaration of faith, and look past fear to a God who promises to protect and deliver.

What do we fear? Rejection, misunderstanding, failure, sickness, death? Like David, when we shift our gaze from fear to the Lord Jesus, His indescribable peace fills us. The more we focus on Him and His character, the more peace we will experience. Isn’t peace something we’re desperate for in these troubling times?

David speaks to his fears and anxiety in verse 1, proclaiming that God is his light, salvation, and stronghold. And that is precisely what we need to do in times of crisis. Taking David’s example, we, too, can learn to focus on God by:

• Calling upon His name
• Choosing to rejoice despite the circumstances
• Remembering and declaring what He has done for us in the past

Dearly beloved, we live in a sinful world and, therefore, we will endure hardships for a time. But when we make God our strength, we have nothing to fear; He is our light and salvation. And if there’s one thing that’s certain, it is the promise of everlasting life free from fear and sin.