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  • Writer's picturePastor Matt

Waiting Faithfully

By: Pastor Matt

You may listen to this devotion in audio form via podcast here.


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?

- Psalm 27:1


It seems like there is more and more to fear in the world today. There is the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the fear our nation might be drawn into war with a nuclear power. There are economic problems: skyrocketing inflation and supply chain issues threaten our businesses and financial security. There is increasing hostility from the culture toward Christianity, and the fear we may one day be called upon to suffer for our faith.


Our psalm this morning helps us realize that the world didn’t just become unsafe recently. Even 3,000 years ago, sin and suffering and death had their say. Psalm 27 begins with a confident proclamation of the safety afforded in the protection of the Lord. 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? These words have comforted many over the years, during catastrophes and disasters, tragedies and personal crises.


But they are also words that many of us at times may have struggled to say and mean. In the midst of grief, confusion, and fear, many of us want to ask the psalmist, “from where do you get this awesome courage?”


One answer is in the second half of the psalm where it turns from proclamation of the Lord’s protection, to a direct prayer to the Lord: Hear my voice when I call, Lord. Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger. Do not reject me. Do not forsake me. So direct, so simple. Can we hear the earnest pleading? Of course we can. These are not only David’s words, but our words.


As humans, it is an instinct to turn to the Almighty with words and pleas such as this in the midst of suffering. As believers, turning to God in prayer is what shapes us and draws us closer to the Lord. These are our words and our supplications.


There can be confidence in these prayers, in these petitions, for those who know the Lord as savior of their life. Even in the midst of chaos, turning to the Lord in prayer reminds us of the times that the Lord has been there before. It strengthens our trust. Psalms scholar James Mays writes that “Trust is the practice of the knowledge of God as savior in all our living.” And perhaps prayer is the foremost way of practicing the knowledge of God in our living. Prayer in the midst of trouble and tragedy drives us into the arms of our savior, arms from which we will not be separated.


And yet, we know that sometimes, in the short term, our fears are realized. Though Christ has won the victory, we do not yet see it in its fullness, and we await his return. Perhaps that is why the Psalm ends with the instruction to wait for the Lord. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.


And what do we do while we’re waiting? There is one other plea in the prayer of this psalm that almost seems out of place given the urgency of all the other petitions, doesn’t it? Teach me your way, O Lord. While we wait, in addition to praying, this Psalm urges teaching. We teach our faith to those who are suffering. We teach our faith to our children and we pass it on to the next generation.


What do we do in the face of suffering? Like the psalmist, we proclaim, pray, and teach. This is how we wait, faithfully.


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?



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