Ooowee! Who’s got this patience thing down? Not me for sure! In Psalms 27, though, David isn’t talking about traffic or waiting for the mail to arrive. He is talking about answered prayer in the face of an encroaching enemy.
How many of us have faced or are facing an enemy we are powerless against? Cancer. Alcoholism. Addiction. Disease. Abuse. Fear. Anxiety. Which is yours?
David starts much like we do, full of confidence and trust, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid?” and then faces life’s enemies. They surround him. They taunt him. They come at him relentlessly. He feels abandoned and betrayed by even his closest relatives. Finally, he can confidently declare that he will see the goodness of the Lord.
Isn’t that what we do? We start out when we’re on a mountaintop, all sunshine and fresh air and we keep walking with great confidence, then we hit shaky, uneven, dark, and dangerous ground and we’re overwhelmed with fear. Panic takes over where faith reigned because it’s much easier to see what’s right in front of us than to see the Unseen God.
That’s when we must rely on faith. Faith that the Almighty really is still with us. He is still our light and salvation. He is still hearing our prayers. He is still God and we are not. We walk down our mountains to valleys, yet He is with us.
We must choose to maintain that understanding we had on the mountaintop when we’re in the depths of the shadows, when the enemy is coming near, when the panic wells up. We must remember that our God is for us, not against us. We must remember.
Whatever fear-strewn pathway you’re walking today, dear one, please remember. Recall who your God is and all He has done for you and others. Understand that He is with you and He is for you. Slip your hand into His and walk close beside Him. He knows this path and even if you can’t see the light, He knows right where it is.
Coffee, Bible, Journal.