“The Lord is my light and my salvation.” (Psalm 27:1)
Here is a story that a woman recently shared with us:
“When I had my first child, I was terrified. Here was a life completely dependent on me. I’d never even had a pet growing up; how was I to do this hard thing? The middle-of-the-night feeding was the worst. My defenses were low; I didn’t wake up fully or think clearly. I shook inside.
“Then one night as I sat with my baby in the semidarkness, the words of this psalm came to mind, and an amazing peace came over me. Night after night, I repeated them: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?’ Night after night, God’s peace filled my heart. I became more and more confident that the Lord was with me.”
Here is God’s marvelous truth: we are created to walk in the way of peace. We have been given the Holy Spirit, so that we might not live in fear. The Spirit has brought about our adoption, so that we can call out confidently, “Help, Father!” whenever we are afraid.
• Help! I don’t know how I will make it through my prison sentence.
• Help! I lost my job and don’t know how I’ll pay the bills.
• Help! I don’t know what to say or do at my job interview.
• Help! I have cancer, and I’m so scared about my future.
The Lord is your light and your salvation! The way may seem dark right now, but God will shine his light upon it. He is your helper, not just in “spiritual” things but in all things. Fear is real. Everyone experiences it at times. But it doesn’t have to paralyze you. It doesn’t have to keep you from doing the things that God asks you to do. Bigger than fear is Christ in you. He is your light and your salvation!
“Lord, be my refuge from fear so that I can walk in peace today. Shine your light on me, and strengthen me to do what you ask.”
Hebrews 13:1-8; Psalm 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9; Mark 6:14-29