Holding onto Courage While I Wait on God (Psalm 27)

Evening Scripture

Psalm 27
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.

Evening Reflection

This beautiful Psalm ends with a verse I include in my prayers each morning. “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” (v14, NLT)

Waiting is hard. Patience is not an easy virtue to behold. Yet, when we put our craving for immediacy aside, we get to experience the wonderful benefit and blessing of waiting … of patience. Psalm 27 reminds us to center our lives around the Lord, who is worth waiting for. So often, we push to find answers instead of waiting on the Lord's steadfast, reliable timing. We so often rush ahead to get to what’s next instead of taking a deep breath and enjoying the process, the journey from point A to point B.

In life, there will always be something coming up next. Always another season of life lurking around the corner. We’ll never be able to predict what’s coming for us …at us …what will happen to us …both good and bad. And what we do with that fact determines the value of our days. Will we spend each day grasping for control of what we can never predict? Or, will we take a deep breath and bravely commit to waiting on the Lord?

The courage it takes to develop godly patience is commendable. It is brave to wait. God cares for us infinitely more than we could imagine. His ways are mysterious to us, but His love for us is obvious. Meditate on this Psalm tonight. Listen to it over and over until its truth seeps deeply into your mind, heart, and soul. Be brave. Have courage. And rest in the Lord’s strength tonight.

Evening Prayer

Father,
I wait patiently on you, Lord. Brave and courageous. I wait patiently for you. And I will repeat that truth, those words, until my heart’s intentions align with your will. Grow in me godly wisdom and courage. I pray to walk boldly behind you, Jehovah Rohi, all the days of my life, following your specific design for my life, and running towards your purposes. Let my life bring glory to your name, Abba.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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