Don’t Be Afraid
“Do not be afraid” is a frequent command in the Bible (Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10; John 14:27). The prevalence of this command tells us something about the world we live in. We live in a world where there is plenty to fear. There are scary people, places, and possibilities. Yet the regularity of this command also reveals that we do not have to live in fear. Psalm 27 helps us learn how not to be afraid.
The psalm begins by setting the Lord and fear in contrast through a rhetorical question. Verse 1 asks, “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?” It is implied that there is ultimately nothing to fear because the Lord is our light, salvation, and stronghold. This does not mean, however, that frightening things simply cease to exist.
The psalm recognizes that the world we live in is full of things that go bump in the night. David, the author of this psalm, had understandable reasons to be afraid. As Israel’s king, he faced enemies, foes, and powerful armies. Yet he was not afraid. “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear,” he states. How can this be?
David was not afraid because he gazed upon the Lord’s beauty. The Lord is beautiful, revelatory light. That is, ultimate reality is unveiled in God. The Lord is more real than all of David’s enemies. As David gazed upon God’s beauty, he remembered what was real. The Lord is his salvation and stronghold (v. 1). The Lord is his safety and shelter (v. 5). As it turns out, the scariest person, place, or possibility does not hold up under the brightness of God’s beauty.
From beginning to end, light is a major theme in the Bible. Scripture begins with the creation of light and ends in the land of endless light. If we follow light’s path through Scripture, we are led to Jesus, the Light of the world, whose glory shines brightly from a mountaintop cross. There Jesus faced all that truly scares us and the powers behind it: sin, death, and Satan. Then, on the third day, the Son of Righteousness rose victorious with the morning sun. In the light of Jesus’ resurrection, there is nothing to fear. He shines into the darkness, and the darkness—and all that is hiding in it—has not overcome him.
Psalm 27 invites us to gaze upon the beauty of Jesus Christ, to set our eyes upon him and allow his light to fill our lives. In his light, our hearts are made courageous, for he is our safety and salvation, our shelter and stronghold.
