Tuesday, March 11 Psalm 27:1

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?

OUR LIGHT

The psalmist expresses his confidence that God can overcome any earthly challenges he faces. Light is essential to life; the sun provides both the light and warmth that is required for life. By expressing that God is his light, he identifies God as the source of his life. Light also provides us with the illumination we need to perceive and understand the world.

Judaism was unique at the time Psalms was written. This was a time of monotheism. Other contemporaneous religions turned to a Sun God existing alongside other gods as the source of light. In this verse, the psalmistprovides a divine source of light with an alternative source consistent with Judaism.

He identifies God as his salvation. Salvation has a long history as a central tenet of Judeo-Christian faith. At the time Psalms was written, this salvation would be seen as needing to be earned through obedience to the Law. Christ replaced that concept of salvation as something to be earned with a teaching that salvation was a gift from God. This gift was a result of Christ`s death on the cross. We are building up to our celebration of Christ`s sacrifice that provides our salvation on Easter Sunday.

A stronghold provides a place of refuge for one who is endangered. The psalmist is confident that God is his refuge and will provide a safe haven from all dangers. He recognizes that because God is this stronghold, he need not fear anyone.

Again, Christ modified this through his actions. Though we may be subdued or defeated by earthly forces, we know that we will ultimately achieve our salvation through Christ. Because we have the light of God and salvation from God, we need not fear anything, for no one can take these away from us.

God, thank you for providing the illumination we need and for protecting us. Help us to feel secure in knowing you will protect us and that we are saved by grace through Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen

Ted J. Vlamis

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