Psalm 27

 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?
2When evildoers assail me
  to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
  they shall stumble and fall.
3Though an army encamp against me,
  my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
  yet I will be confident.
4One thing I asked of the Lord,
  that will I seek after:
to live 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.
5For 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 on a rock.
6Now my head is 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.
7Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
  be gracious to me and answer me!
8‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’
  Your face, Lord, do I seek.
9  Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
  you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
  O God of my salvation!
10If my father and mother forsake me,
  the Lord will take me up.
11Teach me your way, O Lord,
  and lead me on a level path
  because of my enemies.
12Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
  for false witnesses have risen against me,
  and they are breathing out violence.
13I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
  in the land of the living.
14Wait for the Lord;
  be strong, and let your heart take courage;
  wait for the Lord!

Comment:

This psalm, said to be "of David," is a hymn of praise to the safety and protection of the Temple in Jerusalem—"the house of the Lord." Metaphysically, it is a ringing affirmation of the safety, joy and security we feel when we surrender our lives to the Christ Presence within us. To "live in the house of the Lord" is to consistently know and express our intimate relationship with the Power of God—to make all choices from a consciousness of our innate Oneness with the Presence and Power of God. Nothing in the outer world can threaten our safety when we are centered in our spiritual Power. And when we make our choices—major and minor—from that Christ consciousness, then we will truly "see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" as the positive results of our spiritual choices become manifest in the world around us.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed