DEVO - You Are My Fortress
You Are My Fortress
Psalm 27
Open your Bibles. Today’s devotion is in Psalm 27. Grab your journal and something to write with, and get ready to meet with the Lord.
Let me give you an overview. In Psalm 27, we see King David’s confidence that the Lord is his Light and his Salvation. The Lord is his Strength and his Song. The Lord is his Protector. The Lord is his Fortress. Nothing else. Do you get it? Nothing else – the Lord. The Lord alone.
And this drives away fear for King David, and it gives him great confidence because he knows that as he seeks God, the Lord will keep him in the time of trouble. And ultimately, in verse 13, King David shows his confidence that he will see the Lord’s goodness while he is in the land of the living. And we need that confidence today.
And so, we need the finale of Psalm 27. It’s verse 14. It’s an awesome command from the Lord to get us through the days we’re living in now. The command is Wait. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave. Be courageous.
Psalm 27 (NLT)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Let’s meet the Lord today in this Psalm.
Verse 1 says, 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Lord, we say today it’s you who leads and guides us, Lord. You are our fortress, Lord. You protect us from danger. And so, whom shall we fear? Whom shall I fear, Lord? Lord, you – you yourself – you are my salvation, Lord, you deliver me. You defend me. Lord, you protect my life. And so, I don’t need to fear, Lord. I don’t need to tremble because I know the Lord is by my side.
Verses 2-3 say, 2 When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Lord, whatever comes. Lord, whatever comes today, we will remain confident in you. Lord, our hearts will not be afraid. Lord, even if I feel like a mighty army is surrounding me, or even, possibly, taking over our nation, Lord, no matter what, even if it feels like a war is rising up against me, Lord, I will stand strong in you. You will hem me in on all sides, Lord. You will be my defender. You will be my strong tower, Lord.
Verse 4 says, 4 The one thing I ask of the Lord – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Lord, this one thing, this one thing, Lord, this is the thing I seek above all else: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, in your house, Lord, all the days of my life. Delighting in your wonder, and in your perfection, and resting in the joy of your presence, Lord. Lord, this is the one thing I need. I need to abide in your presence, Lord. I need to rest in you. I need to trust you in your presence, Lord.
Verse 5 says, 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Lord, that is what you will do for me. You will conceal me from my enemies. When trials, and tribulations, and heavy burdens come, you will keep me safe in your presence. You will shelter me, Lord. You, Lord, will set me out of reach of my enemies. You will set me on a high place, Lord, with you. And there I’ll find peace, and strength, and perseverance there in your presence.
Verse 6 says, 6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music. Lord, when I commit to live in your presence, when I delight myself in you, and when I truly begin to trust and rest in you, THEN, Lord, then you will conceal me. Then you will place me out of reach of the enemy. And then, then, I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. And then I will offer sacrifices of praise with shouts of joy and singing and praising your mighty name, Lord. With everything I have, I will praise you!
Verses 7-8 say, 7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! 8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Lord, I am here. I am here, Lord. Hear me as I pray. Please pour out your mercy on me. Lord, when you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” I will set my heart, I will set my focus on you, Lord. Nothing else. I will meditate day and night on your goodness and your love for me. I will meditate on your protection and your provision. Lord, you are my peace. Lord, you are my strength, and you are my song.
Verse 9 says, 9 Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Lord, you have always been my help in time of need. You have always had your hand on me. I know you won’t leave me now.
Verse 10 says, 10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. No matter what, Lord. No matter what happens, you are with me, and nothing can separate me from your love. And there is nowhere I can go that you are not with me. Lord, you will never leave me. You will never forsake me, no matter what happens around me, Lord.
Verses 11-12 say, 11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. 12 Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. And so, Lord, I say, “Teach me your way, Lord.” Lead me along your path. May I walk in your Spirit always in these days, constantly being filled with your Spirit that I would know where to step, what direction to take, how to move. Lord, the enemy is always there. The enemy is always crouching at the door. The enemy is always waiting to pounce if he can. But I know you will not let me fall into the enemy’s hand, Lord. You will hold me up. You will strengthen me. You will protect me. Lord, may I always walk in your FULL spiritual armor.
And then verses 13 and 14 are like the crescendo.
Verse 13 says, 13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Through it all, Lord, in spite of it all, no matter what, no matter what’s going on around me. No matter what happens in our culture, our nation, I am confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord right here while I am here. Right here in the land of the living because, Lord, I know that you are with me. I know that you’re at work for good. And, Lord, I am confident that I will see your goodness here in the land of the living. And so, I will wait, and I will trust. I will cling to you. I will abide in your presence, and I will worship with songs of joy and thanksgiving, always confident of your goodness.
And finally, verse 14 says, 14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. I will, Lord. I will. I will wait patiently for you. Lord, you make me brave. In you, Jesus, is all my courage and all of my confidence, and so I will stand firm in you. I will trust completely in you. I will be courageous in the face of the enemy and trusting completely in your ultimate victory on my behalf, Lord.
Lord, we say thank you. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all that you are in my life. I will praise you, Lord, because you are my salvation. You are my victory. You are my peace. You are my protector, my provider, my strong tower, my fortress in times of trouble. Lord, I will rest confidently in you. In your name, Jesus, and for your glory alone, amen.
Let me give you an overview. In Psalm 27, we see King David’s confidence that the Lord is his Light and his Salvation. The Lord is his Strength and his Song. The Lord is his Protector. The Lord is his Fortress. Nothing else. Do you get it? Nothing else – the Lord. The Lord alone.
And this drives away fear for King David, and it gives him great confidence because he knows that as he seeks God, the Lord will keep him in the time of trouble. And ultimately, in verse 13, King David shows his confidence that he will see the Lord’s goodness while he is in the land of the living. And we need that confidence today.
And so, we need the finale of Psalm 27. It’s verse 14. It’s an awesome command from the Lord to get us through the days we’re living in now. The command is Wait. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave. Be courageous.
Psalm 27 (NLT)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Let’s meet the Lord today in this Psalm.
Verse 1 says, 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Lord, we say today it’s you who leads and guides us, Lord. You are our fortress, Lord. You protect us from danger. And so, whom shall we fear? Whom shall I fear, Lord? Lord, you – you yourself – you are my salvation, Lord, you deliver me. You defend me. Lord, you protect my life. And so, I don’t need to fear, Lord. I don’t need to tremble because I know the Lord is by my side.
Verses 2-3 say, 2 When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Lord, whatever comes. Lord, whatever comes today, we will remain confident in you. Lord, our hearts will not be afraid. Lord, even if I feel like a mighty army is surrounding me, or even, possibly, taking over our nation, Lord, no matter what, even if it feels like a war is rising up against me, Lord, I will stand strong in you. You will hem me in on all sides, Lord. You will be my defender. You will be my strong tower, Lord.
Verse 4 says, 4 The one thing I ask of the Lord – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Lord, this one thing, this one thing, Lord, this is the thing I seek above all else: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, in your house, Lord, all the days of my life. Delighting in your wonder, and in your perfection, and resting in the joy of your presence, Lord. Lord, this is the one thing I need. I need to abide in your presence, Lord. I need to rest in you. I need to trust you in your presence, Lord.
Verse 5 says, 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Lord, that is what you will do for me. You will conceal me from my enemies. When trials, and tribulations, and heavy burdens come, you will keep me safe in your presence. You will shelter me, Lord. You, Lord, will set me out of reach of my enemies. You will set me on a high place, Lord, with you. And there I’ll find peace, and strength, and perseverance there in your presence.
Verse 6 says, 6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music. Lord, when I commit to live in your presence, when I delight myself in you, and when I truly begin to trust and rest in you, THEN, Lord, then you will conceal me. Then you will place me out of reach of the enemy. And then, then, I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. And then I will offer sacrifices of praise with shouts of joy and singing and praising your mighty name, Lord. With everything I have, I will praise you!
Verses 7-8 say, 7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! 8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Lord, I am here. I am here, Lord. Hear me as I pray. Please pour out your mercy on me. Lord, when you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” I will set my heart, I will set my focus on you, Lord. Nothing else. I will meditate day and night on your goodness and your love for me. I will meditate on your protection and your provision. Lord, you are my peace. Lord, you are my strength, and you are my song.
Verse 9 says, 9 Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Lord, you have always been my help in time of need. You have always had your hand on me. I know you won’t leave me now.
Verse 10 says, 10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. No matter what, Lord. No matter what happens, you are with me, and nothing can separate me from your love. And there is nowhere I can go that you are not with me. Lord, you will never leave me. You will never forsake me, no matter what happens around me, Lord.
Verses 11-12 say, 11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. 12 Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. And so, Lord, I say, “Teach me your way, Lord.” Lead me along your path. May I walk in your Spirit always in these days, constantly being filled with your Spirit that I would know where to step, what direction to take, how to move. Lord, the enemy is always there. The enemy is always crouching at the door. The enemy is always waiting to pounce if he can. But I know you will not let me fall into the enemy’s hand, Lord. You will hold me up. You will strengthen me. You will protect me. Lord, may I always walk in your FULL spiritual armor.
And then verses 13 and 14 are like the crescendo.
Verse 13 says, 13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Through it all, Lord, in spite of it all, no matter what, no matter what’s going on around me. No matter what happens in our culture, our nation, I am confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord right here while I am here. Right here in the land of the living because, Lord, I know that you are with me. I know that you’re at work for good. And, Lord, I am confident that I will see your goodness here in the land of the living. And so, I will wait, and I will trust. I will cling to you. I will abide in your presence, and I will worship with songs of joy and thanksgiving, always confident of your goodness.
And finally, verse 14 says, 14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. I will, Lord. I will. I will wait patiently for you. Lord, you make me brave. In you, Jesus, is all my courage and all of my confidence, and so I will stand firm in you. I will trust completely in you. I will be courageous in the face of the enemy and trusting completely in your ultimate victory on my behalf, Lord.
Lord, we say thank you. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all that you are in my life. I will praise you, Lord, because you are my salvation. You are my victory. You are my peace. You are my protector, my provider, my strong tower, my fortress in times of trouble. Lord, I will rest confidently in you. In your name, Jesus, and for your glory alone, amen.