1The 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?
2When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
4One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
6Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9Do 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,
O God my Savior.
10Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
13I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
- Before you begin, ask the Lord to use this Psalm to teach you and show you more of Himself.
- In verse one, what three things does David call the Lord?
- Verse three shows David’s complete trust in the Lord. He is “confident” before his enemies.
- Read verse 4. How many things is David asking the Lord for? Do you notice the singleness of purpose in this verse? Put this verse into your own words. This is a great verse to memorize!
- David is longing to know the LORD on earth. He pleads for the ability to “dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of his [my] life.”
- In verse eight, David says, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek His face.’” Doesn’t face seem like a deeply personal part of the LORD? It is important to see that David does not only seek the LORD as his “stronghold” and his “hiding place”. He seeks the very FACE of his Creator. Wow! Right now we are observers of an intimate relationship between David and the LORD.
- In verse thirteen what word do you see that you also saw in verse three? Verse thirteen is a declaration of David’s confidence in the LORD. It is not that he has received all the things asked for, but he trusts is God’s good and faithful character.
- What is the verb you see two times in verse fourteen? Stop and think if there is anything you are waiting on in your life right now. Don’t you think it is comforting to see that David intimately knows the Lord and is confident in Him, yet he is still seen “waiting” on the LORD. How does David act while he is waiting? He tells us to do two things.
- Why don’t you seek the Lord’s face right now! Here are some things you might want to pray over. You can thank Him for being your stronghold and your light. If you know Jesus Christ personally, but at times are not confident in Him, you can ask Him to strengthen your belief. Lastly ask Him to make you strong and to give your heart hope as you WAIT on Him. Remember, He is faithful to hear your prayers.