Introduction – Fear Has Many Faces
Fear wears many disguises.
It might be the adrenaline rush when a car swerves into your lane,
the stomach-drop of a medical diagnosis,
the sleepless calculation of bills that don’t add up,
or the quiet dread of a relationship about to break.
David knew fear on every level—battlefield terror, palace intrigue, family betrayal.
Yet he opens this psalm with a declaration that still stuns:
> “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?” (v.1)
David does not deny danger.
He defies it.
This is not bravado; it is faith.
Psalm 27 shows us how to move from panic to praise.
It unfolds in three great movements:
1. Confidence – declaring trust in God’s protection (vv.1–6)
2. Cry – honest prayer in the midst of trouble (vv.7–12)
3. Courage – waiting on the Lord with unshakable hope (vv.13–14)
Let’s walk through them.
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I. Confidence – The Lord Is My Light (vv.1–6)
> “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.” (vv.1–3)
God as Light, Salvation, Stronghold
Light is the first thing David names.
In Scripture, light is revelation, guidance, safety.
Think of a flashlight in a power outage: it doesn’t remove the storm outside, but it lets you see your next step.
God Himself is that light.
He is salvation—not merely rescue from enemies but deliverance from ultimate danger: sin, death, hell.
He is stronghold—a fortress that cannot be breached.
The Hebrew image is of a walled citadel high on rock.
David is not fearless because he is brave; he is fearless because God is bigger than the threat.
> Reflection pause: What names would you give God for the fears you face—light in confusion, salvation in guilt, stronghold in danger? Speak them aloud.
Singleness of Desire
Then David surprises us:
> “One thing have I asked 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 gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.” (v.4)
When life is scary, most of us ask for escape.
David asks for presence.
He wants to live so close to God that worship becomes home base.
> “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.” (v.5)
That’s confidence.
Not that trouble vanishes, but that God’s nearness makes it powerless.
Finally he sings:
> “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.” (v.6)
Faith that began as a declaration now breaks into song.
Fear has been answered with worship.
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Illustration – The Air-Raid Cellar
Picture London during the Blitz. Bombs are falling. Families crowd into air-raid cellars. One child, clutching a candle, whispers, “Is Daddy here?”
“Yes, he’s right beside you.”
The child exhales and sleeps.
The bombs don’t stop, but presence wins over panic.
That is Psalm 27:1–6.
Confidence is not the absence of noise; it is the presence of God.
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II. Cry – Honest Prayer in the Midst of Trouble (vv.7–12)
After soaring with confidence, David does something that might surprise us.
He pivots from triumph to pleading:
> “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!” (vv.7–9)
David’s confidence has not evaporated; it has gone deeper.
True faith does not deny trouble; it drags trouble straight into God’s presence.
He admits the ache of abandonment:
> “For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the LORD will take me in.” (v.10)
Whether literal or poetic, he is saying, “Even if the dearest earthly ties break, God will never drop me.”
> Reflection pause: Where do you fear being forgotten—by family, friends, even the church? Whisper to your soul: “The LORD will take me in.”
Then comes the practical request:
> “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;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.” (vv.11–12)
The man who began the psalm with bold confidence now prays for guidance and protection—the very themes of Psalm 25 and Psalm 86.
It’s as if he gathers the first two weeks of our series into this prayer:
Teach me your path; give me an undivided heart; guard my life.
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Illustration – The Storm Cellar Door
Imagine a storm shelter with two heavy doors.
The first door leads inside; the second locks behind you.
Part one of this psalm swung open the first door with praise.
Part two shuts the second door with honest petition.
Safe inside, the winds can howl, but they cannot harm.
David shows us that crying out is not weakness; it is the secure action of one who knows where safety really lies.
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III. Courage – Waiting on the Lord with Unshakable Hope (vv.13–14)
The psalm ends with a breathtaking mix of faith and patience:
> “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!” (vv.13–14)
Notice the future tense: “I shall look…”
David is confident that he will see God’s goodness here and now, not just in eternity.
But he also accepts God’s timing: “Wait for the LORD.”
This is courage defined:
strength anchored in expectation.
To wait is not to sit idly; it is to stand like a runner in the blocks—muscles taut, eyes fixed, ready for the signal.
> Reflection pause: Where is God inviting you to courageous waiting instead of anxious rushing?
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Illustration – The Airport Runway
Think of a plane at the end of the runway.
Engines roar, but the pilot holds the brakes until the tower gives clearance.
The waiting is not wasted; it builds the power for safe lift-off.
So it is with a soul that waits on the Lord.
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Pulling It All Together
Psalm 27 is a spiritual arc:
1. Confidence – God is my light, salvation, stronghold.
2. Cry – Honest prayer keeps me near the source of help.
3. Courage – I will wait and watch until I see God’s goodness.
This psalm is the KO punch of the Teach Me, Lord series.
Psalm 25 taught us to walk in God’s path.
Psalm 86 asked for a heart united in love.
Psalm 27 shouts the fearless result:
> Guided ? United ? Fearless.
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Conclusion – See God Before You See the Trouble
Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan once said,
> “What we do in the crisis always depends on whether we see the difficulties in the light of God or see God in the shadow of the difficulties.”
David saw God first, and everything else fell into place.
So the call of Psalm 27 is clear:
See God first. Wait on Him. Be strong. Take courage.
Let the final words become your daily rhythm:
> “Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!”
