The Lord Is Our Strength, Whom Shall We Fear

What assurance do we have that the Lord is with us and will provide us with His strength? In Psalm 27, King David openly testified of how God stood by him in the presence of his enemies.

The greatest dynasty Israel ever experienced came when David reigned as her king. He attributed all of his success to God. Look at the confidence he put in the Lord.

Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Psalm 27:3

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Fear won’t grip our hearts when we can put our confidence in God like David did. This Psalm begins by revealing to us why David remained fearless even during hard times.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1

The first Epistle of John tells us that God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. The tempter wants us to live in darkness, making it easier for us to indulge in his temptations.

Of course, living in the darkness makes us susceptible to fear. But, when we look to the Lord, He erases all the darkness in and around us. When the light shows up, darkness can’t exist.

The Lord not only lights our way, but He offers a way of salvation in our times of trouble. Therefore, we have no reason to fear when we walk in the light as He is in the light.

Our Fortress

David continued by referring to God as our fortress. A fortified fortress serves as a place of safety for all who reside there. With God as our fortress, no enemy can infiltrate it at all.

So, in all your situations, rely on the protecting strength of the Lord as your light and salvation. We have no reason to tremble but every reason to trust Him. In our confidence, fear will flee!

David didn’t ask the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. No! He focused on the protection he received from God. We, too, must make that our focus. I like what verse two says.

When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Psalm 27:2

Why would our enemies stumble and fall when they come after us? This again reveals the strength of the Lord. In fact, I think the shining of His light serves two purposes.

First, we can walk in the light while it exposes those in the darkness. Second, it blinds the wicked and the oppressors, so they trip and fall. His light could cause them to even fall over each other.

David had to make a choice in this dialog with God. He could have asked the Lord to remove his enemies from him. Instead, he found it better to seek the presence of God.

The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Psalm 27:4

Rely on the Strength of the Lord

We know how unrealistic it would be to live in the church for the rest of our lives. But we can rely on the strength of the Lord while living all our days in His presence.

David’s statement also extends beyond this life into all eternity. The Lord gives us strength and light and provides us with salvation so we can live with Him forever. God also protects us now.

For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Psalm 27:5

Keep in mind that during David’s life, the Tabernacle served as his place of worship and sanctuary. He could conceal and hide himself in it, but it wouldn’t give him much protection.

Therefore, David relied on the strength of the Lord to hide him in His presence. All through his life, he trusted the Lord to protect him. God would put him out of the reach of his enemies.

Where did God place him? On a high rock. Through the lineage of David would come the Rock of Ages. The Lord still puts all who call on Him out of reach on the high and solid Rock.

The enemy wants to make us feel inferior because of Jesus in our lives. He also wants us to believe that his strength surpasses that of the strength of the Lord. Remember, the devil lies.

Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music. Psalm 27:6

Hold Your Head Up High

Pawns of the devil will make fun of us and hate us. People will accuse us of being too fanatical or too narrow-minded. But we, too, can hold our heads high and offer sacrifices of praise to God.

However, David looked past his enemies or, as the word says, above them. He joyfully praised God and wanted to ensure the Lord heard his prayers.

Hear me as I pray, O Lord Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Psalm 27:7-8

The Lord also wants us to come and talk to Him. He wants us to lay our petitions before Him and cast all our cares on Him. Let your heart respond, “Lord, I am coming.”

Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Psalm 27:9

Lean on the Lord for Strength

David leaned on the Lord because he trusted God as his only source of strength. In this part of his prayer, he wanted to make sure he had His attention. Then, he continued with his requests.

Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.
Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence.
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Psalm 27:11-13

With assurance, know that God hears you when you pray and wants to answer you. Sometimes, the Lord doesn’t give us the answer we want, but be patient and don’t rely on your own strength.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Lord, sometimes we feel overwhelmed by our enemy and try to take matters into our own hands. Help us, Lord, to put our strength in the faith we need to patiently wait on you.

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