1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4 One thing have I desired 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 enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

Psalm 27:1-6 (KJV)

In the texts above, the psalmist, David, is in a difficult situation. Yet, it is also very clear from reading these verses that even in the midst of the battles, in the midst of storm, he is fighting. Most of all, David still has hope.

Our confidence in the Lord provides hope.

David begins his psalm of hope by declaring his personal faith in the Lord. Notice the three-fold use of the word “my” in verse 1. David has a personal relationship with God which is the basic foundation for hope.

Confidence in the person of the Lord
David tells us that God is his light, salvation and strength. There is a tremendous blessing in these three titles attributed to our God.

  • As light, God delivers His people from darkness. (Colossians 1:13)
  • As salvation, God delivers His people from damnation. (John 5:24)
  • As strength, God delivers His people from defeat. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

These three great characteristics of God serve to give us hope even in the midst of battle! Because of who our God is, we need not fear any enemy that should arise against us. Satan himself is no match for our sovereign God!

Confidence in the performance of the Lord
David declares that his present hope in the Lord rests upon that which the Lord has done for him in the past. God did not fail him then, and He will not fail His child today. That same confidence is ours today! The God we serve is unchangeable. (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)

Think of all the things He has done; the victories He has won; the enemies He has vanquished; the mountains He has moved; the victories He has won. Think on these things and remember that the God who performed countless wonders in the past is still that same God today! That should give His people hope!

Our commitment to the Lord provides hope.

Not only does living with our faith give us hope, but also living faithful to the Lord provides a measure of hope that cannot otherwise exist. David mentions three goals in this verse.

He is committed to lingering near the Lord.
David wants to spend his entire life in the house of the Lord. He wants to be in that place where the Lord dwells and where the Lord’s presence is real. This is a theme David repeated in Psalm 84:1-4. There, David envies the little birds that make their nests around the tabernacle. They can be near the house of God all the time, while David cannot. He has a desire to be where God is; to be in that place where God is worshiped and honoured. That is his heartbeat.

He is committed to loving the Lord.
David wants to “behold the beauty of the Lord.”  That is, he wants to seek His face. You see, not only is David committed to being where the Lord is, but he is also committed to worshiping the Lord. That is a worthy goal for life!

He is committed to leaning on the Lord.
David also expresses his desire to call upon the Lord; to commune with God; and to make requests of God. This is another image of worship. David here declares his utter dependence upon the Lord for the necessities of life. David looks beyond his own abilities and sees the limitless provisions of the Lord. Therefore, he wants nothing more than to be able to call upon the Lord.

Our comfort in the Lord provides hope.

God has a sheltered place for us.
David tells us that the Lord will hide him in His pavilion. A king’s pavilion was a tent that erected in the middle of the army’s encampment. The tent was then surrounded by an army of brave soldiers. With all the host of the army camped about, the king’s pavilion was the safest place on the battlefield. Those who were fortunate enough to be allowed to enter the king’s pavilion were protected by the soldiers and entertained by the king during the battle!

God has a secret place for us.
The word “tabernacle” brings to mind the place of worship. The “secret” refers to the holy of holies. That place which was off limits to all but the high priest, and he could only enter there one day per year, and the only with the blood of an innocent sacrifice. It was a place that other men entered under the penalty of death.

Yet, it is that secret place, to which God takes His precious friends. The holy of holies was a place where the very presence of God dwelt and the glory of God could be seen. It was there that God took David during the battles of his life. It was there that David found himself shut up with God and shut off from the world around him.

God has a secure place for us.
David has the assurance that even when life threatens to overflow him, the Lord will set him on a rock, a place that is unchangeable, powerful and immovable. Of course, this Rock he refers to is none other than the Lord Himself. (Psalm 40:1-2)

God has a special place for us.
David says that he will worship the Lord; he will praise the Lord; because of the things the Lord has done for him. Because the Lord has lifted him above the battles; because the Lord has hidden him away in the secret place; because the Lord sheltered him away from the terrors of the battles; he will praise His name!

Are you fighting some battles today? Of course you are! But, in the midst of your battles, do you have hope?  Do you have the deep settled confidence that everything is going to be alright? If you do, praise the Lord for He has already brought to that special place of blessing from which you can offer praise to His name.