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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?When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.(Psalm 27)
This week, we will focus on the idea that God can be trusted with our entire lives and we can live surrendered to him.
The nature of every human being is to desire control. We all have opinions about how our lives, and sometimes the lives of others, should go. Our desires aren’t always bad, but when they keep us from dependence on God, they can block us from his best plan and purpose.
We fear what will happen if we open our hands and invite God to work in our lives. But remember, God can be trusted. We can surrender our plans, dreams, fears, and desires to him. He is our light. God sent his Son into the world, with all the vulnerability of a newborn, to bring light into the darkness. The presence of Jesus made a way for you and me to be in relationship with God—the very source of hope itself. He makes a way through what feels dark and uncertain to us. His way is illuminated with hope. There is nothing to fear when we are with him.
Pray
Father, thank you for creating me with the purpose of being in relationship with you. You are the great God of everything, and you saw fit to make a place for me in your creation. Thank you for feeling the ache of the brokenness of the world and letting your heart break for what breaks my heart. There are many things in this world and in my life that don’t make sense to me, but nothing is outside of your control. Help me remember that you see me, and you are working all things for my good.
