I will always reference and hold Psalm 27 close to my heart. This Scripture comes to mind because it was one of the psalms my grandmother repeated throughout my childhood. I heard the wailing of these words that made me feel a vibrational depth of pain, suffering and perplexing, yet also an unmovable and resolved faith that rendered praise and bold confidence through her voice as I heard her recite this scripture. The psalm opens with these words: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?”
I now recognize that my grandma was modeling the intimate relationship that God desires to have with us. Despite the confusion, hurt and disappointment, God is the greatest One we can call on in all circumstances. God wants us to express our lament and hand our problems to God. Lament is not a complaint, but brings us into an intimate relationship with God through our lamenting. In turn, it serves as a form of adoration, respect and praise to God as the only One who can remedy or assist us with our most profound concerns; God cares.
Life brings highs and lows and happiness and sorrow that can naturally lead any human being to turn their backs on God because of the feeling or thought that God had forsaken us and has turned away from us as we constantly witness the images and harmful experiences of oppression, injustice, racism, prejudice, inequity, inequality, ableism, sexism, misogyny, various forms of brutality and violence, homophobia, xenophobia and more present daily in our society. How can we understand that God is our light and our salvation if all people don’t recognize that we’re all made in God’s image and that God loves all of us and desires justice and peace for all of us? Instead, one can misinterpret this Scripture with disbelief and thoughts that God is only the light and salvation of some people in our world. In turn, this thought leads some to feeling that freedom and peace are not inclusive of all. Some are afraid because of the lack of societal assurance that God is a steadfast stronghold and not being certain of the truth that there’s nothing to fear because all wrongs will be righted in God’s timing.
By recognizing that we have a life, there is hope, faith and confidence to hold onto God’s promises within Scripture. As this psalm continues, we understand, “When the wicked advance against us to devour us, our enemies and foes will stumble and fall. Though an army besieges me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will be confident even then” (Psalm 2-3). Depending on life circumstances, it can feel like it will take an astronomical level of faith to believe these promises of God. However, God states we only need faith the size of a mustard seed. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20-21).
How is the faith conundrum resolved for those that disbelieve and doubt? This question is stated with compassion because we will face this challenge in various ways as we journey through life. There is not one answer or a magic wand to wave to make an experience change in our favor instantly. But radically resolving myself to believe, trust and hold God accountable to God’s promises has given me peace. It has drawn me closer to scripture; living within our world guided by Scripture in my daily interactions with God, has increased my confidence, knowing and expecting that God has not forsaken me through all things.
I can testify to God’s faithfulness; I’ve always considered myself to be patient; but trusting God’s faithfulness has taken a level of patience I would have never known was possible; it has involved the blind testing ground in wisdom to trust where you don’t see the evidence of what is to come or how it will come or even if those things desired will ever come. It has taken humility to remain upright and tenacious despite the various attacks we can experience. This Scripture reminds me of the anguish we all experience and the countless blessings as we live on this Earth. There is still hope because, in the end, we know that our “heads will be exalted above the enemies who surround us, and sacredly, this will lead us to praise with shouts of unbridled joy and sing, making beautiful music from our heart, mind and spirit because of God’s faithfulness” (Psalm 27:6).
It’s my prayer for those who believe and don’t believe that they can summon from the depth of their being, like my grandmother, the hope, confidence and praise despite any adversity, that God is indeed faithful and will continue to be faithful as we depend on God’s word.
