Wait, Be Strong, Take Courage
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Psalm 27:1-7,11-14
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, uttering slanders against me, my adversaries and foes, they shall stumble and fall. 3. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 4. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell 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 upon a rock. 6. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about 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! 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord; and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe 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; yea, wait for the Lord!
Whom shall I fear? It’s really a rhetorical question, I think. It is assumed we know the answer already. What shall I fear? That’s another good question. The psalmist offers us one answer: nothing and no one. Sounds so simple. And yet have you ever known a time when you had to step out in faith in a particular situation? Speaking for myself, much fear and trepidation can be involved, especially if the situation has the potential to impact your life, or the lives of others. Even things that will make your life better once they are accomplished can be fear invoking. We are encouraged to declare “I will be confident.” We can make that bold proclamation because our confidence is in our God, not ourselves.
I have dealt for some months (close to a year now) with sometimes excruciating, often debilitating pain in my hands. As a writer, it is inconceivable I would not be able to write! Just unimaginable. And for some time, in the depths of my despair, I was afraid, and forgot about God’s goodness and mercy. I forgot about His divine plans and their purpose – far greater than I could ever imagine. So one day I grew weary of the pity party I had been living in and offered up the pain to God. I decided that, if Paul, with his (unknown but challenging) thorn could be such a powerful voice for Christ, I could deal with my pain and get on with my life. I just refused to have that interference in my life. I’ve spent so many years NOT being in the word, not being obedient, not even attempting to grow into the person God made me to be, that I have no time to waste.
That surrendering to God has afforded me a tremendous, almost uncontainable burst of creative energy in my writing, and in other creative outlets. I’ve been working in my gardens, and chopping vegetables for meals, baking, sewing and more. I have reached a place where I am not afraid of the pain. I am not afraid of it because I refuse to let it define me. I will not submit to Satan’s whispers or to his wiles. Satan is not happy when we are happy! He doesn’t want the truth broadcast; he doesn’t want us vital and joyful and enthusiastic about our Lord and Savior. He doesn’t like it when I proclaim to all, “God is charge of my life.” More than that, having freely offered up all of myself, my talents, my skills, my abilities, my brokenness, and yes, my pain, I have become fearless! I am not afraid. I will not be afraid. I am available to God’s plan for my life. “6. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me; and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.”
What are you dealing with in your life that is robbing you of joy? What challenges are you attempting to overcome on your own? Where are you feeling attacked? That’s where God waits for you. Give it over to Him. He’s big enough and strong enough to handle it. I still have bad days. I have times of frustration, and every so often I still ask God why me? But believe me when I say that while I’m pretty sure I won’t understand any of it until I get to heaven, I am not afraid on earth. Turn over your fears, your pain, your grief, your anger, your brokenness. Give them to God. He’ll take them and use them in your life in powerful, wonderful ways.
My prayer today is that you will “wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord!”
Mary
