Psalm 27 NRSV

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?

2 When evildoers assail me

to devour my flesh—

my adversaries and foes—

they shall stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war rise up against me,

yet I will be confident.

4 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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,

be gracious to me and answer me!

8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”

Your face, Lord, do I seek.

9     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!

10 If my father and mother forsake me,

the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,

and lead me on a level path

because of my enemies.

12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,

for false witnesses have risen against me,

and they are breathing out violence.

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

Reflection:
Waiting is hard to do sometimes, especially when we don’t know how long we will be waiting. We see the news reports and the numbers that change daily. With all the uncertainty about the future, we are forced to wait and trust that God will protect us. The author of this psalm knew a lot about waiting and uncertainty. King David was likely on the run for his life, hiding in caves when he wrote this, never knowing what the next day would bring or if there even would be a tomorrow. But David did not allow his uncertainty to turn into fear. He knew that God was not absent or uncaring regarding his situation. He reminded himself that if God is with him, he need not be afraid in the midst of uncertainty. David’s words should remind us to believe in the goodness and protection of the Lord as we wait for things to return to normal. God is not absent; God is with us and is moving through us, so let us take courage and love God and one another in our waiting.

Closing Prayer:
“Lord watch over each of us and remove the spirits of fear and anxiety from our hearts. We trust that you are good and that you will guide us through the difficult times. Give each of us your provision for this day, Amen.”