My Light and My Salvation

Psalm 27 NIV

Of David. 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 the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. 7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. 13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Delusions

Several years ago I spoke with a foreign exchange student who couldn’t understand why Christians praise God in worldly difficulty.

How do you trust God when surrounded by circumstances that are not good?

The challenge of faith is not that we are blind to difficulty.

We experience brokenness and we observe brokenness.

The reality, however, is that faith in Jesus gives us eyes that see more than present difficulties and circumstances.

There’s an optimism through difficult present circumstances.

Psalm 27 puts some explanation on this dynamic.

David

In an Earthly sense, King David, the likely writer of today’s Psalm, doesn’t have a lot to be optimistic about.

He assumes the wicked will advance against him.

That an army will besiege him...

War will break out against him...

That mother and father will forsake him (likely referring to death)...

That he will be oppressed.

That people will witness falsely against him and spout “malicious accusations” against him.

David is very clear on the challenges of this world.

Jesus

Jesus also gets it!

We are of course abundantly familiar with the way he was falsely accused and crucified.

He also acknowledges that this world isn’t always easy for us either.

Throughout the Beatitudes in Matthew 3 he blesses the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and the persecuted.

He blesses those who seek to reverse such challenges through personal exercise of qualities like mercy, purity in heart, and peacemaking.

People that Jesus routinely gravitated toward are the hungry, the widows, the prisoners, the outcasts...

He wouldn’t have any reason to bless people who suffer unless he recognized challenges.

He wouldn’t bless people who suffer unless suffering occurs.

No Delusion Zone

Jesus, David, and all the writers of Scripture really do take an “honesty is the best policy” perspective.

They start with persecution, illness, mourning, cheating, murdering, slander,, war, famine, and other less than heart-warming examples.

We’re all just a life event away from utopian delusions crashing into worldly realities.

All the writers of Scripture would acknowledge that.

The Difference

To Infinity and Beyond!

How many of you are familiar with Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movie series?

Every time the main character, Woody, would see an insurmountable difficulty, Buzz had an annoying habit of going back to a signature phrase.

“To infinity and beyond!”

His optimism bugged Woody because it seemed like he wasn’t living in reality.

The truth is that Buzz was dealing with the same circumstances, but he possessed an unbridled trust and optimism about ultimate outcomes.

World’s Response

On spiritual matters, David and Jesus take the same approach.

They confront our impulse to believe only in worldly circumstances.

...and call on us to trust in eternal promises and vision.

David puts it this way...

Psalm 27:1–3 NIV

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 the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

And in verses 13-14...

Psalm 27:13–14 NIV

13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Jesus puts it this way to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 11...

John 11:25 NIV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

That sort of trust acknowledges the challenges, even to death, but it sees ultimate realities beyond the challenges.

That is the same invitation God gives to us...

How Can We Trust?

The great challenge many people have is this…how do I actually trust it?

Maybe you or someone you know wants to believe, but can’t quite get there.

Natural Revelation

The Natural sense...

Ever see anything create itself?

Has any created thing ever been its own cause?

Resurrection Revelation

In a more direct sense, Paul encourages Christians to place their trust in the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:14–17 NIV

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

Optimism in eternal things comes down to this for Christians...

Jesus rose from the dead.

Because Jesus physically rose from the dead, we believe...

We will be physically raised from the dead when Christ returns.

That he proved his authority to forgive sin.

That temporary things aren’t final things!

Eternal life is true because the trustworthiness of the promise was demonstrated by Jesus.

My Light and My Salvation

True light and salvation aren’t just for temporary circumstances.

They are eternally promised.

John put it this way in John 1:1-5...

John 1:1–5 NIV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Friends, the light that came into the world is your light.

He is your salvation.

Whatever your present circumstances.

Whatever your past challenges...

Whether you live another 100 years.

Whether your days are short...

Your future is secure.

Because the goodness and mercy of God are with today and always, you can rejoice...

Rejoice in ways that appear absurd to a world without hope beyond this life.

The challenges will be overcome by the light.

Jesus Christ is your light and your salvation.

Nothing in this world can take that away.

Amen