The LORD Is My Light And And My Salvation
Devotional
Companion to the Psalter
A Devotional Guide to the Psalms
Object:
One thing I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
to live 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.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
-- Psalm 27:4, 14
Theme: There's no need to fear, but I still do!
Outline
1-6: I am confident and joyful in the Lord.
1-3 -- He is my light and salvation amid evildoers.
4-6 -- I want to live with him and enjoy his goodness.
7-14: I am also distressed.
7-10 -- Hear my prayer; do not forsake me.
11-12 -- Lead me through the conflicts I am experiencing.
13-14 -- Trusting you while I wait gives me courage.
Notes
• Lament
• "His tent" (v. 6) -- David pitched this for the ark on Mount Zion. (See 2 Samuel 6:17.)
• "The house of the LORD" (v. 4). This is not merely the tabernacle; it also suggests that we are God's guests here, who can enjoy his protecting care and goodness in all of life.
For Reflection
• How does God lighten our dark times of danger, trouble, or anxiety?
• "To behold the beauty of the LORD" suggests gazing with wonder and contemplation at the character of God and his redeeming ways with us. How often should I do this? What will be the effect on me?
• "What worship means is the submission of the whole being to the object of worship. It is the opening of the heart to receive the love of God; it is the subjection of conscience to be directed by Him; it is the declaration of need to be fulfilled by Him; it is the subjection of desire to be controlled by Him; and as the result of all these together, it is the surrender of will to be used by Him. It is the total giving of self."1
• "Waiting" -- a good word for faith in God. Why?
Prayer
Lord God, what a great light and salvation you were to your beloved Son, even when his adversaries rose up and his followers forsook him. In our time of danger and anxiety, grant us courage to trust and wait, knowing we are guests of a good and gracious Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all the way. Amen.
____________
1. William Temple, Daily Readings from William Temple, #108 (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1951).
that will I seek after:
to live 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.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
-- Psalm 27:4, 14
Theme: There's no need to fear, but I still do!
Outline
1-6: I am confident and joyful in the Lord.
1-3 -- He is my light and salvation amid evildoers.
4-6 -- I want to live with him and enjoy his goodness.
7-14: I am also distressed.
7-10 -- Hear my prayer; do not forsake me.
11-12 -- Lead me through the conflicts I am experiencing.
13-14 -- Trusting you while I wait gives me courage.
Notes
• Lament
• "His tent" (v. 6) -- David pitched this for the ark on Mount Zion. (See 2 Samuel 6:17.)
• "The house of the LORD" (v. 4). This is not merely the tabernacle; it also suggests that we are God's guests here, who can enjoy his protecting care and goodness in all of life.
For Reflection
• How does God lighten our dark times of danger, trouble, or anxiety?
• "To behold the beauty of the LORD" suggests gazing with wonder and contemplation at the character of God and his redeeming ways with us. How often should I do this? What will be the effect on me?
• "What worship means is the submission of the whole being to the object of worship. It is the opening of the heart to receive the love of God; it is the subjection of conscience to be directed by Him; it is the declaration of need to be fulfilled by Him; it is the subjection of desire to be controlled by Him; and as the result of all these together, it is the surrender of will to be used by Him. It is the total giving of self."1
• "Waiting" -- a good word for faith in God. Why?
Prayer
Lord God, what a great light and salvation you were to your beloved Son, even when his adversaries rose up and his followers forsook him. In our time of danger and anxiety, grant us courage to trust and wait, knowing we are guests of a good and gracious Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all the way. Amen.
____________
1. William Temple, Daily Readings from William Temple, #108 (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1951).