Psalm 27 - Prayer for the Fearful
Psalm 27 is a prayer for those who are afraid (v. 1). The human author, David, describes the source or cause of his fear in a variety of ways: evildoers (v. 2), opposition (v. 2), war and violence (v. 3, 12), catastrophe (v. 5), and abandonment (v. 10). What presently causes you or I to fear may or may not fall into one of these categories. However, that shouldn’t stop us from leaning into this Psalm to prayerfully confront our own fears. God invites us to bring our unique fears into the light of his beauty and presence. Further, the wide array of fear causing situations invites us to think beyond ourselves to those whose fears are different than ours for whom we can also pray.
Verse 4 explains that the answer to fear is our line of sight. Jesus teaches about the importance of our gaze within the context of fear and anxiety. He explains, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness…” If our gaze is set on those things that cause fear then our bodies will be full of fear. However, if our eyes are focused on the light, then our bodies will be full of light. It is also interesting that Jesus connects this to idolatry (Matthew 6:19-21, 24). If we trace back our fear to its source we will find that which we most truly love. We need our line of sight set upon the beauty of God, and then we will see and sense his presence more fully.
The light of God’s beauty overwhelms fear’s darkness by revealing heart transforming truths. In God’s light we can see that he is our salvation (v. 1), stronghold (v. 1), shelter and support (v. 5), and security (v. 10). We discover these truths when we seek the Lord’s face (v. 8). Jesus assures, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). Jesus can say this because He is the face of God, and in his face we behold the glory of God (John 1:14; Matthew 17:2; Hebrews 1:1-3). So then to gaze upon the beauty of God is to behold the Jesus of Scripture made possible by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:6). We see and sense God’s beautiful goodness when we come to the Scripture; which, as Augustine said commenting on Psalm 27, is “the face of God for now.”
Psalm 27 ends by describing the person who gazes upon the Lord’s beauty in word and prayer. The person who brings her fears into God’s light is transformed into one who patiently waits for Him with quiet courage (v. 14). The truths of the gospel grow in her the capacity to trust that God is at work, and is working all things for her good. The anxious hurry fed by fear is exchanged for a sturdy, peaceful confidence in God who is exceeding beautiful.
