Psalm 23 is a favorite of many, yet for me, Psalm 27 fills my mind with beautiful memories.
“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?” reminds me of the days when I realized many of my problems could be
traced to a fear of people. I was afraid of rejection, afraid of being hurt,
afraid of being laughed at, but God showed me this verse again and again until
it became part of the way I thought about Him and about people.
As Psalm 27:1 released me from much fear, verse 5 backed it
up: “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 lift me high upon a rock.” These
wonderful images became a reality and helped me be more courageous.
Then, and not many years ago, I read an
amazing book that showed me how ADHD was formed and how it had affected me,
even producing my tendency to be fearful of rejection. The author revealed the
importance of eye contact in a young child’s life and if it was missing for
whatever reason, those children had ADHD issues. While not as severe as some, God
showed me the need to overcome this by seeking His face. For this, verses 8 to
10 became a long-term blessing to my ‘scattered’ mind . . .
“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart
says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do
I seek.’ Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you
who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.”
Before coming to this victory, I’d
already had the help of the last few verses to carry me through a terrible situation.
At that time, my life was like a roller coaster and I felt as if I would die
before it would change. I cried out to God with words like these, “Teach me
your way, O Lord, and lead me on a
level path because of my enemies. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries
. . .” and He increased my faith. Eventually I could say, “I believe that I
shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
As I read these verses now and think
about the mind of Christ, another image pops into my head. A person’s mind is like
any other living thing . . . it thrives
when properly fed. Feeding on the Word of God nurtures the Spirit who lives
within and as I become increasingly aware of Him and His power, I am also
nourished and sustained.
It is little wonder that the psalms have
been a blessing to God’s people for many hundreds of years. As God hides me,
lifts me, invites me to seek Him, takes me in, teaches me, and increases my
faith, I am stronger, more courageous, and more able to be patient with Him and
with life. Praise His name, and His power to speak to the needs of His people.
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