Thursday, February 2

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

"The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm‬ ‭27:1‬)

In Psalm 27, we read of the many stages that even the faithful heart travels through.  David expresses great faith in His loving Father, but he also acknowledges that even his parents may forsake him, and his enemies will certainly seek his ill.

By observing our lives and others, we recognize that our hearts' condition hinges more on our responses to our circumstances than to the circumstances themselves.  We cherish the psalms for the sweeping majesty of their images, but they also lie grounded in reality.  As Jon pointed out with Psalm 23, the psalms do not portray life as an unending sequence of rainbows and cupcakes.  Instead, life involves great trials and anguish, both physical and emotional.  We may even face betrayal from those we love.  How will we respond?

David indicates a godly and holistic response in Psalm 27.  How did he muster courage to face each day?  Like we may, he spoke truth to his heart after reflecting on and worshipping the living God.  His faith arose from his deep relationship with his Savior.  His fear dissipated in light of God's awesome goodness.

In today's world, it seems that every self-help book or article emphasizes the importance of "mindfulness" or "presence," reasoning that we may avoid negative thoughts if we remain "centered."  Most of this wisdom makes sense, but it fails to identify the proper center for this mindfulness.  David implies that, if we remain mindful of God's presence throughout the day, we may share his faith and courage.  That's not a complicated formula, and it doesn't really require much training.

How will you live courageously and boldly to bring honor to God today and tomorrow?  It seems to hinge on whether we seek Him first or see our problems first.  How might you spend more time seeking Him so that your responses follow after David's?

Lord God, thank You for Your amazing presence with us.  Encourage us to share the same measure of faith that David demonstrated.  Help us not to shrink back under stress but to remain vigilant in seeking You.  Make us thirsty for Your presence and hungry for Your righteousness.  We love You and live for You today.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

"What a Beautiful Name":  https://g.co/kgs/DEYrw9