Fearless in the Fortress (Psalm 27)

Introduction

is a psalm of trust and of lament. In it, we see David, the author, wrestling through a scenario that is commonly seen in the life of a Christian. David emphatically proclaims His trust in God who is His sovereign protector, yet moments later we see Him in a deep valley of fear and despair. We’re going to look at the emotional journey David goes through in this Psalm, and see what he does on the other side of his valley.

The Yahweh Ultimatum (1)

New Living Translation Psalm 27

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—

so why should I be afraid?

The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger,

so why should I tremble?

David makes some amazing statements that act as a definition of Yahweh in this psalm, and should be a description of God that every believer holds close to their hearts. The Lord is the source of light, and the Lord is the only way of salvation, there is absolutely no reason for fear in God’s people. I love David’s description of the Lord throughout this psalm. He begins the description here with the illustration of a fortress that is defending him. With a fortress as strong and as mighty as the Creator of all, what kind of reason could there be to fear?

Stronger than Evil (2-6)

David begins to make a series of bold hypothetical situations expressing his extreme confidence in the Lord.

New Living Translation Psalm 27

2 When evil people come to devour me,

when my enemies and foes attack me,

they will stumble and fall.

3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,

my heart will not be afraid.

Even if I am attacked,

I will remain confident.

David boldly talks down to his enemies. He has complete confidence that anything that comes against him will utterly fail in its attempts. Evil people? They will be stopped. Enemies? They will be destroyed. Danger? It will be shut down. Armies approach? They will be defeated. No matter what kind of assault goes against him, David claims he will be confident.

The desire of David’s heart (4-6)

New Living Translation Psalm 27

4 The one thing I ask of the LORD—

the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

delighting in the LORD’s perfections

and meditating in his Temple.

5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

he will hide me in his sanctuary.

He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

6 Then I will hold my head high

above my enemies who surround me.

At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,

singing and praising the LORD with music.

David once again proclaims his dedication to his God. All his desire is to be with God. All his desire is to know God. All he wants to do is delight in God’s glory. All he wants is to praise, sing, and sacrifice to God. The reason for this is that David knows that God will protect him. His confidence is in the Lord’s protection, and in return his desire is nothing but the Lord.

The Peak

Currently, David is at a high. He is at the peak of his confidence. He has zero doubts in Yahweh’s ability to protect and care for him, and all of his affections and delight are in the Lord. I believe we all know what this spiritual high is like. We know, see, and experience God’s goodness to us, and it feels as if we are on the top of Mount Everest. It’s an incredible feeling.

But

Something suddenly happens in the life of David. What will David’s response be? Where will he direct his focus and where will he look for comfort? We need to keep reading and ride this roller coaster with him.

The Valley (7-9)

New Living Translation Psalm 27

7 Hear me as I pray, O LORD.

Be merciful and answer me!

8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”

9 Do not turn your back on me.

Do not reject your servant in anger.

You have always been my helper.

Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,

O God of my salvation!

Here we see David fall off of his peak of confidence into a deep valley of fear. We aren’t given the insight into what caused David’s sudden distress, but it was enough to shake him. He suddenly fears the abandonment of God. He cries out desperately to God to respond to his plea. He knows God is there, he hears him, and he desperately wants to be with God. Yet he remains in this fear. He frantically begs that Yahweh doesn’t leave him. He recalls his goodness and faithfulness, and I can almost hear David crying out in a broken voice, “don’t leave me”.

Hope (10)

New Living Translation Psalm 27

10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the LORD will hold me close.

Suddenly, there is a glimmer of hope, as we see David returning to confidence. He reflects on the human reality that people are imperfect, and will always let us down. As he ponders this, it occurs to him that God, the Creator of life itself, will never abandon him. It is God who will hold him when there is no comfort. It is God who will draw near when everything is so distant. It is God who shows love when there is no love. It is only God. He is the only one to rely on.

Desperation (11-12)

New Living Translation Psalm 27

11 Teach me how to live, O LORD.

Lead me along the right path,

for my enemies are waiting for me.

12 Do not let me fall into their hands.

For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;

with every breath they threaten me with violence.

David again returns to desperate requests, but now they are not out of fear, rather, they are out of love and desire for Yahweh. David knows that there is no where else he can go, so he turns to the Lord for guidance. He can’t work through this life on his own or following any other, so the only thing for him to do is plead with the Lord of all to guide him. The dangers of his enemies are so prevalent, so only direction from God will lead him the right way. He asks God to grant protection for him, once again beginning to return to confidence in Yahweh.

Return to confidence (13)

New Living Translation Psalm 27

13 Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness

while I am here in the land of the living.

It’s clear and simple. David is once again fully and completely confident in Yahweh. Throughout his whole life, every day he lives in “the land of the living”, David will see God’s goodness. Not a day will go by when God is not good to him.

Conclusion/A word from David

This is a story we can likely see in many of our lives. The ups and downs of our spiritual life can be frequent. When struggles rise and dangers appear, our confidence in God can turn into fear. It’s so easy to do, and so ingrained into our sin nature that we are people that are full of fear, and so afraid of being alone and under attack.

I deal with many of these ups and downs in my faith walk. I’ve got some pretty bad issues with overthinking and giving myself anxiety. I would consider these to by my “enemies”. I can’t even imagine the trials of faith that you all deal with here overseas.

From what Colin has told me and from what I’ve learned of the culture, you are all under ACTUAL threats and ACTUAL danger. I can’t imagine what that is like. Aside from your fellow ministers and some of the Christian relationships you have here, I can imagine that the temptation to feel alone and discouraged could be intense. I know that this is a difficult field to share the Gospel, so whether it is because of the dangers or from the struggles of ministry, I know that it must be discouraging at times.

But I want to share with you the encouragement that David gives at the end of this Psalm:

New Living Translation Psalm 27

14 Wait patiently for the LORD.

Be brave and courageous.

Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

David’s life was constantly under threat. He had intense spiritual and emotional lows. But he also had intense highs where he felt the blessing of God. Through all this, David learned that the secret to getting through both highs and lows is to wait on God for deliverance. He is the one thing in this world and life that can be relied on at all times. Yahweh is faithful, and He protects and defends His people. The struggles of faith may rise, highs and lows may come, but God is always the same. Even when we waver, God is always constant.

This is what I want to encourage you with today. As with any ministry, there are going to be constant challenges. For you, it is amplified due to your field of ministry. Whether you are on an intense high of ministry success and Gospel-motivation, or if you are in a low of despair and fear, God can be waited on. Wait on Him. Remember your own life, how He has delivered and rescued you from dangers, and how He has never abandoned you. Don’t lose faith, God will protect you.