March 16th - Psalm 27:2–3

Psalm 27:2–3 David’s confidence in God is incredibly inspiring. But it didn’t just happen. It was the result of his experience of living for God. He had been threatened with death by King Saul time and again, and through these experiences he had learned that God would not let him down. Even if he was confronted by the biggest army, he knew that God would protect him. There was absolutely no need for him to be afraid. We all face challenges and are tempted to feel afraid. Most of us will probably not, like King David, face up to the threat of death from an enemy, although that will be the experience of some Christians around the world. For many of us the challenge may come in the form of a health issue or financial problems. We may have relationship difficulties in our family or workplace or be threatened by a neighbour. Any of these challenges can cause us to feel afraid, but David’s words remind us that if God is our light and our salvation, such fear is unnecessary. We need to make sure each day that our lives are placed securely in the hands of God. When we do so, David would tell us that we will not only avoid fear but can be confident. Martin Luther, who led the Reformation, captured this sense of confidence well when he wrote: “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” Question In what situations have you been tempted to be fearful? How has your faith in God given you confidence at such times? Prayer Loving God, I thank you that you want to be my light and my salvation. So fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I will be full of confidence, whatever life throws at me. Amen