This “Psalm of David” was written while David’s life was being threatened by his enemies. We will give a very brief outline of the Psalm using the New King James Version.

Verses 1-3: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.” With David’s “eye of faith” fixed firmly on the Lord, he had no fear of his many enemies. He could say, “The LORD is…my light…my salvation…the strength of my life.” LIGHT speaks to us of “God’s glory,” for 1^st John 1:5 declares that “God is light.” SALVATION has the thought of “deliverance,” in this case “deliverance from one’s enemies.” The Apostle Paul expressed his trust in the Lord as his “deliverer” in 2^nd Corinthians 1:10, “Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us, in whom we trust that He will deliver us.” STRENGTH has the thought of “power.” David knew that his enemies were nothing next to his omnipotent God! He had the same confidence as we see in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Verses 4-6: “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For In the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.” David had “one thing” controlling his heart, to enjoy intimate fellowship with the Lord. This reminds us of Mary in Luke 10:39, “who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.” Jesus had this to say of Mary’s communion with Him, “But ONE THING is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part” (verse 42). Dear fellow-believer, is this “one thing” true of us? Are we craving fellowship with our blessed Lord in His sanctuary? He bids us to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). If we do, we too will “behold the beauty of the Lord” and we will be lifted above our enemies and be made to “sing praises to the Lord.”

Verses 7-14: “Hear O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘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 help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” David’s eye of faith wavers throughout these verses.  At times he stands in doubt of God’s help and even wonders if He will forsake him; but in the end he is persuaded that God will never forsake him (even if his parents abandoned him). He is so convinced of this that he encourages all believers to “wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart.” The prophet Isaiah echoed David’s sentiments in Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Are we taking their advice, or are we trying to do battle with our enemies in our own strength?  (216.5)  (DO)