The Lord is the Stronghold of My Life • Devotional

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)

 GOD IS MY LIGHT AND STRONGHOLD

Of David. 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)

I was shut up in my dark room, waiting for the waves of the flare to lift. Oh, how I had tried to keep my little light shining. I thought I had learned to spot the signs of the darkness encroaching; I thought I had recognized when the waves of pain would soon approach. But apparently, I had missed one too many of those signs, and I felt myself “forced” into an isolating rest. My own light had failed, and I struggled to glimpse how the light of my Savior could possibly shine in this darkened room of pain.

Do we know that the Lord is truly our light?

And if we do, then how do we let His light guide us through the dark days of pain and weakness?

David, the author of this Psalm, knew something of what it meant to face the dark places.  King Saul had chased him and tried to take his very life. In fact, when David wrote of the Lord being his stronghold, he had spent his own time of desolation-dwelling in a place commonly known as “the strongholds of En Gedi.”

It was a forlorn place, with caves built into the sides of the cliffs that were perfect for hiding. A spring enclosed was hidden there with nourishing water for those who had survived the desert. Have you ever seen photos from Israeli tour groups who have walked through the desert land of En Gedi?

The utter desolation is shocking.  How could God have led David to those dry and forsaken lands? And yet, that is precisely the phrase that David used, while he was cut off from his home: GOD is the stronghold of my life.  He had come to realize that the very place that felt so forlorn had become God’s protection during the years of his enemy’s pursuit. God provided all that He needed during the days of desolation, even placing a spring of water in the middle of the barrenness.

REST IN THE LORD, OUR STRONGHOLD

The Greek word for “stronghold” here is defined as a:  place or means of safety, protection, refuge, stronghold.

• How could we see that light of God shining forth in our own lives?
• Can we ask God to show us how He is being our safety, our protector, our refuge, our stronghold in these days when we feel forsaken and desolate?
• How would seeing that change our perspective from fear to trust?

Could it be that resting in this darkened room is the very place where JESUS is calling to me? Instead of seeing this as my “forced” resting place, perhaps He is asking me to shift my perspective, and to see that this is the place I “get” to rest, in the stronghold of my Lord.

Is He also calling you to find His safe stronghold? I would love to join with you in prayer today:

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for your merciful compassion that sees into the deepest aching of our hearts. We are amazed that you see the true state of our condition, the true state of our need. And while we want to be shed of this battle and these desolate places of pain, you know that what we truly need is a place of light and hiding with you. Thank you for setting up these hidden springs where we can receive such grace and life from you. Will you forgive us for the times that we look away and try to find our own way out of the deserts? Help us to open our eyes to see the stronghold that you have prepared for us with YOU, right here in our hearts where you dwell in us.
In your precious name we pray,

Amen.