Opening Illustration – Confidence in Turbulence
An airliner was making its way from New York to San Francisco. Midway across the country, one of the engines caught fire.
The captain came on the intercom and calmly reassured the passengers,
> “Don’t worry. The fire will be out soon. This aircraft can fly just fine with three engines.”
Not long after, a second engine failed. Again the captain announced,
> “Don’t worry. We can fly safely on two engines.”
Then a third engine flamed out.
This time there was silence.
Finally the captain stepped into the cabin with a parachute strapped to his back.
Opening the exit door, he called out,
> “Don’t panic. I’m going for help!”
We smile at the absurdity, but it raises a real question:
When life feels like it’s losing one engine after another—health setbacks, financial stress, family upheavals—
where do we look for true confidence?
Who really pilots our lives when things seem out of control?
Psalm 27 opens with David’s answer:
> “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?”
David knew dark valleys and hostile enemies, yet he spoke with radiant assurance.
This morning let’s listen as David invites us to move from fear to faith, from anxiety to assurance.
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1. God Our Light and Salvation (Psalm 27:1–3)
David begins with a threefold confession:
The Lord is my light.
Light means clarity, direction, and life.
It scatters the shadows of confusion and exposes the traps of the enemy.
When we walk with God, we are never truly in the dark.
The Lord is my salvation.
Salvation is rescue—deliverance from danger and sin’s grip.
It is not merely an event but an ongoing reality.
God is continually saving, guiding, and keeping His people.
The Lord is the strength of my life.
Strength here is like a fortress or stronghold.
David pictures God as an impregnable castle where no foe can break through.
Because of these truths, he can ask with confidence,
> “Whom shall I fear? … Of whom shall I be afraid?”
Even when “an army encamps” around him, David declares,
> “My heart shall not fear.”
This is not bravado; it is settled trust.
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Illustration – The Sandbox Rock
A little boy once played in his sandbox, building roads for toy cars.
He discovered a huge rock that blocked his construction.
He dug and pushed until he dislodged it, but when he tried to roll it over the sandbox wall, it kept falling back.
Finally, exhausted and in tears, he heard a gentle voice:
> “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength you had?”
“But I did, Dad. I used everything!”
“No,” his father said kindly. “You didn’t ask me.”
The father then lifted the rock out with ease.
How often we strive and struggle, forgetting that our greatest strength is found in calling on our heavenly Father!
The Lord doesn’t merely add power to ours—He is our strength.
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Living Without Panic
Life brings seasons when resources run thin and the future feels uncertain.
Two extremes tempt us:
Presumption—assuming we can handle everything on our own.
Panic—imagining we are abandoned and helpless.
But God “has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
His perfect peace steadies those “whose minds are steadfast because they trust in Him” (Isaiah 26:3).
David’s opening verses invite us to step out of both presumption and panic and to rest in God’s light, salvation, and strength.
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2. Seeking God’s Presence (Psalm 27:4–6)
From this place of confidence, David expresses a single great desire:
> “One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
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.”
David’s longing is not for escape but for fellowship—to live every day aware of God’s presence.
This is worship as a way of life, not just an hour on Sabbath or Sunday.
Why is this so vital?
Because when we dwell in God’s presence, we discover unshakable peace:
> “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” (verse 5).
Notice the movement:
from asking, to seeking, to beholding, to being hidden and lifted up.
Fear recedes as intimacy deepens.
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Worship as the Heart of Courage
It might seem counter-intuitive, but worship is warfare.
Songs of praise and moments of quiet adoration fortify the soul far more than frantic effort.
Paul and Silas discovered this in a Philippian jail.
At midnight, with their feet in stocks, they prayed and sang hymns—and the prison shook with God’s power.
When we delight in God’s beauty and goodness, we are not ignoring reality;
we are anchoring ourselves in a deeper reality.
The darkness may be real, but the Light is greater.
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3. Prayer that Anchors the Soul (Psalm 27:7–10)
After praising God’s presence, David turns naturally to prayer:
> “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…”
The heart of fearless living is continuous conversation with God.
Prayer is not a last-minute rescue flare; it is the ongoing rhythm of a life that trusts God’s goodness.
Notice the movement:
God speaks—“Seek my face.”
David answers—“Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Fear diminishes when we respond quickly to the Lord’s invitation.
Prayer keeps the soul steady when emotions swirl.
It’s where we pour out fears, admit weakness, and receive peace “which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
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Illustration – Seeing the Father’s Eye
The story of the little boy in the sandbox shows how help comes when we simply ask.
Prayer is that asking.
But prayer is more than asking for rescue; it is sharing life with God—listening, resting, aligning our will to His.
David knew that intimacy.
Though abandoned at times by friends or even family, he could say,
> “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me in.”
Human relationships may fail, but God’s faithful love does not.
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4. Walking in Hope (Psalm 27:11–14)
The psalm builds to a powerful finish:
> “Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path because of my enemies…
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!”
Here is confident expectation.
David does not deny hardship; he defies despair.
He believes he will see God’s goodness—not only in eternity but “in the land of the living,” right here and now.
“Wait for the Lord” is not passive.
It means hopeful anticipation, like a child waiting for a beloved parent to return.
It is trust with eyes wide open.
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Faith for an Unseen Future
Hebrews 11:1 calls faith “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Life often requires us to step into the unknown, just as Abraham left home “not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).
We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Our fears usually spring from what we cannot see:
uncertain finances, health questions, career changes, family concerns.
But the God who lights today also illuminates tomorrow.
Hebrews 13:8 assures us,
> “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Because He never changes, we can face an unknown future with unshaken trust.
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Illustration – Fear of Darkness
Human beings have long feared the dark.
Children sometimes cry out when the night hides familiar things.
Even adults can feel unease when sight is limited.
Yet physical darkness is not our deepest challenge.
Spiritual darkness—loneliness, discouragement, sin—can weigh heavier.
Into that darkness God promises light:
> “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
“Fear not, for I am with you… I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
Jesus fulfills these promises perfectly.
He said,
> “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
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5. Everyday Applications
This psalm speaks powerfully into modern life:
Career crossroads – Trust God’s timing and guidance when opportunities shift or doors close.
Family challenges – Seek His face for wisdom in parenting, caring for aging parents, or nurturing marriage.
Global uncertainties – Economic swings, natural disasters, and social tensions cannot shake the Rock beneath our feet.
We are invited to replace anxiety with prayerful expectancy.
To cultivate habits of worship and gratitude that keep us anchored when headlines or personal news threaten to unnerve us.
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Illustration – Guided by God’s Eye
Years ago I gave a college speech about the careful training of seeing-eye dogs.
The article’s title was “My Eyes Have a Cold Nose.”
For many blind people, the dog’s steady guidance is the difference between fear and freedom.
Psalm 32:8 carries an even richer promise:
> “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with my eye.”
God sees every step of the road ahead.
He guides with perfect love, better than any guide animal or GPS.
That is why the old hymn still sings to the heart:
> I will guide thee, I will guide thee,
I will guide thee with mine eye;
All the way from earth to heaven,
I will guide thee with mine eye.
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6. Conclusion – Living in the Light
David’s closing exhortation still rings true:
> “Wait on the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait on the Lord.”
Fear of darkness comes from fear of the unknown.
But the unknown is fully known to God.
He is not only the light at the end of the tunnel; He is the light with us in the tunnel.
In Jesus Christ, light triumphs over every shadow—over sin, over death, over every anxious tomorrow.
Therefore we can say with David,
> “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?”
Let this be more than words on a page; let it be the posture of our hearts.
Whatever lies ahead—choices, challenges, joys, or trials—we walk in His light, surrounded by His love.
