Daily Devotion – March 11, 2022 – Elizabeth Schoenknecht

Psalm 27 (NRSV)

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?

When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh- my adversaries and foes- they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

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.

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!

“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek.

Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Devotion

The beginning of this psalm may sound familiar. The words, “The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear?” are used by people of faith as a sign of confidence in God’s protection and care. In fact, some traditions refer to this psalm as “David’s Song of Confidence.” However, there are times when we can’t genuinely speak these words, and our fear overtakes our confidence in God’s promises. At such moments, the stark reality is that confidence or certainty can feel like sand falling through our fingers. We are now in the third Lenten season where we must continue to wrestle with a pandemic. We have learned that we cannot hold onto what we think to be true or what we predict may happen because tomorrow it may all change. This psalm gives us words by which we can anchor our hope in the shelter of the Lord. The fear we have, though real, is fleeting as we wait for the Lord and take courage, for the Lord is our light and salvation.

Prayer

God of shelter and protection, though we may face many fears, your psalmist reminds us to take courage as we seek your refuge in the face of all that stands between us. Amen.