A psalm of fearless trust in God
A Psalm of David
27Â Jehovah is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
Jehovah is the [a]strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2Â When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh,
Even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.
3Â Though a host should encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear:
Though war should rise against me,
[b]Even then will I be confident.
4Â One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after:
That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life,
To behold [c]the beauty of Jehovah,
And to [d]inquire in his temple.
5Â For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion:
In the covert of his [e]tabernacle will he hide me;
He will lift me up upon a rock.
6Â And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me;
And I will offer in his [f]tabernacle sacrifices of [g]joy;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto Jehovah.
7Â Hear, O Jehovah, when I cry with my voice:
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8Â When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, Jehovah, will I seek.
9Â Hide not thy face from me;
Put not thy servant away in anger:
Thou hast been my help;
Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10Â [h]When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then Jehovah will take me up.
11Â Teach me thy way, O Jehovah;
And lead me in a plain path,
Because of [i]mine enemies.
12Â Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries:
For false witnesses are risen up against me,
And such as breathe out cruelty.
13Â I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of Jehovah
In the land of the living.
14Â Wait for Jehovah:
Be strong, and let thy heart take courage;
Yea, wait thou for Jehovah.
Footnotes
- Psalm 27:1 Or, stronghold
- Psalm 27:3 Or, In this
- Psalm 27:4 Or, the pleasantness
- Psalm 27:4 Or, consider his temple
- Psalm 27:5 Hebrew tent.
- Psalm 27:6 Hebrew tent.
- Psalm 27:6 Or, shouting. Or, trumpet-sound
- Psalm 27:10 Or, For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But Jehovah etc.
- Psalm 27:11 Or, them that lie in wait for me
Have Confidence In God – Psalm 27
In a time of danger or exile, David expresses his trust in God as the one who will keep him safe and bring him through all the difficulties he is facing. This is not the only time in the Bible where a person expresses their faith and hope in God even when the world around them has turned against them.
Despite this, a robust, confident faith is not enough to overcome the fears of life and its ups and downs. A relationship with God that can admit that it struggles at times will be stronger.
This psalm is a great example of how the believer’s relationship with God can change their perspective on fear and trouble (Psalm 18:28; 19:3;). When a person puts worshiping God as their priority, it lifts their head and heart to see His power and His presence in a way that changes their approach to life’s ups and downs.
In this psalm, David lays out his confidence in God using images of light and stronghold. He also explains why he has the assurance that God will protect him and not allow any enemy to harm him.
