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Psalm 27:1 - The Triple Shield of Defense Against All Threats;

Psalm 27:1 (KJV) 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? 

Psalm 27:1 (NIV) 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? 

WORD STUDY

Light is a figure often used in Scripture to 
refer to God (27:1; cf. John 8:12; 9:5; 1 John 
1:5), since it dispels darkness and brightens 
life. [New Bible Companion] 

CONTEXT

This psalm was written by David when he was 
a hunted fugitive, finding refuge in the rocks 
and caves of the wilderness (Ed 164). It 
reveals the psalmists spirit of absolute 
confidence in God amid the perils of flight. It has 
been called The Tonic Psalm. In no other psalm is 
Davids yearning after the service of the sanctuary 
as intensely expressed as here. Some suggest 1 
Sam. 22:22 as a background to the psalm. The 
psalm has three divisions: vs. 1"6 express the 
poets assured confidence in God, despite the 
threatenings of the enemy; vs. 7"12 cry out plaintively 
for help; and vs. 13, 14, as a conclusion, find 
sure relief in hopeful trust in God. In the 
modern Jewish ritual, Ps. 27 is recited daily 
throughout the sixth month in preparation for the New 
Year and the Day of Atonement. [SDA Bible 
Commentary] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   When you were a child, did you like to 
sleep with a light on? Somehow a dark bedroom 
doesn't seem quite so scary with a nightlight 
glowing softly in the corner or a door opened just a 
crack to let the light in the hall shine through. 
Light chases away fears and gives comfort. In 
today's Scripture, David writes, "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?" What a personal statement this 
is! The Lord is my light and my salvation. It's 
not that He gives light; He is light. He doesn't 
give salvation; He is salvation. Jesus is light 
within, light around, light reflected from you, and 
light to be revealed to you. Don't be afraid of 
what's out there in the dark. The powers of 
darkness have been utterly broken, and the grip of 
hell shattered beyond recovery. If Light itself 
is for you, whom or what in the world could you 
possibly fear? 
   Lord, You have rescued me - not only from 
the growing darkness in this world, but also 
from the darkness in my own heart and mind. You 
have lifted me into a light that never fades. 
Shine in me and through me today, Bright Morning 
Star! [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada 
and Larry Libby] 

COMMENTARY 

Calvin named Davids triple shield of 
defense against all threats, Light, Salvation, 
Stronghold. [SDA Bible Commentary] 

The Lord is my light and my salvation. These 
exultant words introduce a scene of serenity. Nowhere 
else in the OT is the Lord referred to as my 
light. Because the psalmist has found God as light, 
salvation, and strength, there is no cause for fear or 
terror. His serenity is not conditioned by outward 
circumstances but is unconditional. (Wycliffe Commentary) 

God is a light to his people, to show them 
the way when they are in doubt, to comfort and 
rejoice their hearts when they are in sorrow. It is 
in his light that they now walk on in their 
way, and in his light they hope to see light 
forever. (Matthew Henry's Commentary) 

Fear causes as much distress as actual pain. 
Even the sufferer need not fear if hope is placed 
fully in God. Confidence in Gods presence is 
the basic weapon against fear. [Disciple SB] 

Fear is a dark shadow that envelops us and 
ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. Each of us 
has been a prisoner of fear at one time or 
another - fear of rejection, misunderstanding, 
uncertainty, sickness, or even death. But we can conquer 
fear by using the bright liberating light of the 
Lord who brings salvation. [Life Application SB] 

   Fear is usually present in the lives of 
adult children. We are afraid of rejection, 
abandonment, abuse and deprivation; we might even develop 
an array of phobias: We may have a fear of 
failure based on having been told repeatedly that we 
will never amount to anything. This fear stopped 
many of us from believing that the future held 
any promise. 
   Others avoid success because they feel a 
need to live up to unrealistic expectations. We 
may resist accepting responsibilities that we 
believe are beyond our ability. 
   Our concerns can be faced and subdued as 
we experience God's perfect love for us. In 
Christ, there is no fear of rejection, abandonment, 
failure, or the future. As the child within us is 
nurtured by the Holy Spirit's loving and gentle 
touch, our misgivings can be dispelled. We are 
children of God, so we do not need to be afraid. He 
is always with us, guiding and protecting us. 
Rather than fear God, we can respect and rely on 
his presence in our lives. 
   Our reverence for God can gradually 
overshadow our fears from the past and give us hope for 
the future. Then we can say with David, "The 
Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall 
I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). Ron Ross [Life 
Recovery Devotional SB] 

   Fear is a powerful thing. It can push its 
way into so many areas of our lives. We all know 
someone who fears death or illness, pain and 
suffering, defeat, accidents, or failure. In fact, you 
may have some of those - and perhaps many others 
- on your own list of things you fear. Fear 
can undermine our faith, paralyze our progress, 
and blur the vision we have received from God. 
Fear is capable of robbing us of joy and peace. 
   David claimed that his heart would "know 
no fear." And the reason for this confidence 
was that the Lord was his light, his salvation, 
and his protector. This psalm is a reminder to 
all of us. Why should we be afraid? Why should 
we tremble? We can have the same confidence and 
assurance that David did if the Lord is our light and 
our salvation. It is he who protects us from 
danger. 
   FATHER, help me to see the truth in your 
Word. You are my light and my salvation. You are 
my protector from danger and from evil. Help 
me, Father, to draw close to you and to rest in 
the confidence I have in you. Help me to defeat 
fear in my life as I trust in you. [Praying 
Through The Bible By Fuller] 

That which terrifies you, controls you. But 
it needn't be that way!... David knew what it 
was to be afraid of the dark ... afraid of the 
future  afraid of the enemies encamped all 
around him. But he learned the secret of overcoming 
those fears. Do you know what it is? Not denying 
he had them, but relying on Someone bigger than 
they were! Take a look at Psalm 27:1, and there 
you'll discover what David found: the Lord is the 
cure for what intimidates you! He has light to 
dispel your darkness and strength to replace your 
weakness. And you, like David, have the privilege of 
drawing upon those resources today. David took God 
at his word (27:5); will you? [Daily Walk 
Bible] 

Faith is not an emotion; not something we 
create from within ourselves. What makes faith real 
and vital is not how much of it we have. 
What makes faith real and vital is its object. 
Even a little faith, reposed in God, can 
transform. Not because we have it, but because of 
who our faith is in When our trust and hope 
are fixed in Him, no matter how small our faith 
seems to be, God can and will come into our lives 
with a flood of strength and of joy. [The 365-Day 
Devotional Commentary] 

The Lord is my light and my salvation. 
Here is personal interest, my light, my 
salvation; the soul is assured of it, and therefore 
declares it boldly. Into the soul at the new birth 
divine light is poured as the precursor of 
salvation; where there is not enough light to reveal 
our own darkness and to make us long for the 
Lord Jesus, there is no evidence of salvation. 
After conversion our God is our joy, comfort, 
guide, teacher, and in every sense our light: he is 
light within, light around, light reflected from 
us, and light to be revealed to us. Note, it is 
not said merely that the Lord gives light, but 
that he is light; nor that he gives salvation, 
but that he is salvation; he, then, who by faith 
has laid hold upon God, has all covenant 
blessings in his possession. This being made sure as a 
fact, the argument drawn from it is put in the 
form of a question, Whom shall I fear? A 
question which is its own answer. The powers of 
darkness are not to be feared, for the Lord, our 
light, destroys them; and the damnation of hell is 
not to be dreaded by us, for the Lord is our 
salvation. This is a very different challenge from that 
of boastful Goliath, for it rests, not upon the 
conceited vigour of an arm of flesh, but upon the real 
power of the omnipotent I AM. The Lord is the 
strength of my life. Here is a third glowing 
epithet, to show that the writers hope was 
fastened with a threefold cord which could not be 
broken. We may well accumulate terms of praise where 
the Lord lavishes deeds of grace. Our life 
derives all its strength from God; and if he deigns 
to make us strong, we cannot be weakened by all 
the machinations of the adversary. Of whom 
shall I be afraid? The bold question looks into 
the future as well as the present. If God be 
for us, who can be against us, either now or 
in time to come? [Morning And Evening by 
Charles H. Spurgeon] 

We need strength for the battle and strength 
for the journey, and God abundantly provides. Be 
sure to take time to wait on the Lord (Isa. 
40:31). If you run ahead of Him or lag behind, you 
will be a perfect target for the enemy. [Chapter 
by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Life often seems too hard, and maybe 
occasionally even downright hopeless. When your light 
seems to be growing dim in the shadows of sin and 
sorrow, look up. Our Lord is the only real source of 
joy and hope there is. Lean on Him; He will keep 
your light burning bright. [Daily Bible Promise 
Book By Barbour Publishing re Psalm 18:28 a cross 
reference to this verse] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE

Psalm 27:1 - The Triple Shield Of Defense 
Against All Threats. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20100804-1551.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]  

Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David 
DeRose, MD, MPH: 
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides: 
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor: 
https://www.revelationnow.com/ 

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: 
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/ 

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657