1 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 by KIng David
I am a genuine, 100% certified and credentialed “fearling.” As a young adult I read the book Hinds Feet in High Places. It is a moving tale about little shero Much-Afraid and her spiritual journey to the High Places. It was a modern Pilgrim’s Progress. King David catches this same sense of overcoming fear as we learn to travel in faith, trusting God, following the light.
Today we perhaps say we have “control issues.” I like to be able to see what’s coming and know I can cope well enough not to embarrass myself or my family and friends watching. When I experience darkness like we talked about yesterday, I am an easy target for fear.
I like that David used the word “and.” God is not only my light that helps me see and cope but there is also an “and.” And he is my salvation. The truth is that I do have tough days and I do make mistakes and I get “my panties all twisted” about something I should be trusting God with. The verse does not say that because God is our light we must therefore be perfect. The verse says that even as God leads, we will make mistakes and God will be our salvation. David loved God but David made mistakes like adultery and murder. God loved David who was “a man after his own heart.” God confronted David and punished him for his wrong but God did not abandon David. The Lord is our light everyday and on those ooops days he is our salvation too.
So let’s take a moment and be honest with ourselves about the fears that linger on the edge of our awareness. Don’t just think about yourself but let us pray for our country as we enter elections and the arenas of conflict in our world where fear is ever present. Thank you Lord that you save us.
On the Way to Wonder 