Confidence In The Unknown; A Reflection on Psalm 27

“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? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 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. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 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. Teach me your way, O Lord, and me on a level path because of my enemies. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. I believe that I shall look up on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.  Psalm 27

Caroline, Charlotte and Hudson:

Let me encourage you today to remember that the God of the universe, the Creator of all things, the one who intimately and perfectly formed you is available to you when you humbly call on his name. He is a light to guard you through dark places and he is a stronghold to take refuge all the days of your life. This truth allows you to take bold steps forward in whatever direction he is calling you and it eliminates the need to have all the answers. To be sure, we often want all the answers before moving forward (I know I do), but the truth is that God has already been to and seen wherever He is leading you. He promises to light the path for you with each step of faith you take and to be there as a refuge in times of trouble. 

Will there be times of trouble even if I’m walking perfectly in God’s will? You bet there will be. In fact, I’ve found that encountering challenges and having to be completely reliant on God is a strong indicator that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I think you’ll find that too. David says as much in Psalms 27… “When evildoers assail me…” “Though an army encamp against me….” He says this because trouble is inevitable in our broken world. It’s part of the consequences of our sin, but I love that David quickly follows those statements with “I will be confident”. This confidence comes not because of David’s greatness, but because of God’s protection, provision and favor. If you are having a hard time taking the next step today, if you’re worried about the future, do your best to remember that there’s a light waiting to illuminate the path for you and strong place to take shelter in. So go ahead, take the bold path! When trouble comes, you’ve got the only protector you’ll ever need on your side.

This confidence though is available to us when we are walking lockstep with God. When I think back on all the things I’ve dreamed of accomplishing, the places I wanted to find myself one day, I’ve come to realize that much of it was empty or misguided. A few examples… I’ve desperately wanted my scores to be on the top of the leaderboard in sports, my picture on the cover of business magazines and my name at the top of the organizational chart. While none of those things are inherently bad, they are wildly incomplete without something much more significant…being wholly consumed by presence of God. I love that David says of all the things that he could ask of the Lord, of all the things he could seek after it is to “dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” We often forget that our deepest meaning and fulfillment can only be found when we are in the presence of our Creator. It is easy to get distracted in a world of business using the talents and gifts he’s given us, but we should never forget that our truest center and North Star is only found in the proverbial “living room” and company of our biggest fan, Jesus Christ. What a powerful thought to remember that his presence is available to us! That we can openly inquire about our most complex and perplexing questions and to also simply gaze upon the beauty of a God who never changes. That despite our evolving circumstances and emotions, he stays consistent every day. How wonderfully beautiful and humbling it is that this is available to us.

As I write this, we recently got back from a family trip to the Grand Canyon. What an incredible trip it was to spend time together as a family and to look out over one of the earths most stunning views. We stood on the South Rim of the Canyon and looked over one mile down to the bottom at the rocks and paths and Colorado River below. Wow! I can’t help but think of that when I read David say “…in the day of trouble, he will lift me high upon a rock….my head shall be lifted above my enemies all around me.” What a gift it is that even when trouble and worry surround you, there can be confidence…No, there should be confidence! Not because you are strong in that moment, but because you have been set high on the firmest foundation. And what is the result of this confidence and protection? David tells us that it should result in praise and shouts of joy. I agree. What better way to give thanks for something we don’t deserve than to just humbly sing a joyful melody of gratefulness and adoration to the King. He is indeed worthy of all we have and when we call on his name, we can be sure that he will not only hear us but will indeed draw near to us.

God tells David to “Seek his face” and David responds that “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” If I could pass on just one thing to the three of you it would be to seek the face of God and learn to discern his voice above all else in your life. There is no greater calling, purpose or pursuit than to run after and find yourself in the presence of your God. David was on to something in Psalm 27…he knew that he could have all the company the world could offer but that something would still be missing. He also knew that everyone else could leave him behind, abandon and forget him yet in the presence of the Lord he would have all he needed. That is true for you too. Regardless of how good or bad you have it; in the presence of the Lord all things are complete. Outside His presence in your life, you’ll be constantly looking for something you will never find. Please trust me on that one…I’ve learned the hard way.

I’d like to close out this note to you with a blessing from the last two verses of Psalm 27. It is my prayer for you, and I believe with all my heart that as you seek the Lord first in your life you will fully experience His goodness in this world we inhabit, or as David put it “the land of the living.” So, wait for the Lord, seek him first, and move forward today and every day with bravery and courage knowing that if you are headed towards Jesus, you’re headed in the right direction.

I love you.

 Dad