Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
“My light”, “My Salvation” and the “Strength of My Life”
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?”

No wonder this Psalm is counted among the favorites of many Christians.  It is a glorious Psalm of praise and declaration of faith. The central theme of this Psalm is declared in Verse 1: “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?”  Certainly the Psalmist knows what it means to be in a time of trouble, as it seems that so much of his life was filled with trouble. Yet his heart is continually filled with praise to God. Instead of seeking vengeance against his enemies, he seeks help from the Lord.  In this Psalm, the Psalmist makes a threefold declaration: the Lord is “My Light”, “My Salvation” and “Strength of My Life”.   
The author seems to have a personal experience of the divine light; therefore, he pronounces boldly, “the Lord is My Light”.    In every sense, our Lord is our light, both within us and around us. For the Lord to be the light, it means that He illuminates our lives and chases away all darkness and evil forces and enemies in our path. There can be no darkness in our path where the light of the Lord is shining. Because darkness is not a separate force opposite of light, but rather it is the absence of light, where a light shines, no darkness can remain within the reach of that light (see John 1:5).  How easy it is for us to say this and take it for granted, or to not even grasp the fullness of what it means?
The Psalmist also affirms that the “Lord is my Salvation.  The Lord has paid the debt owed on us, brought us out of our exile into His freedom, cleansed us from all our sins and brought us into the glory of His Kingdom. Nothing can compare to the greatness of the salvation that we have through Jesus Christ.  Whoever, then by faith hold on to God, can claim all covenant blessings in His possession. Here the covenant of His blessing to the author is the help in his time of trouble.   
The Psalmist further proclaims that “the Lord is the Strength of My Life”.  Our life derives all its strength from Him who is the author if it. If He wills to make us strong, we cannot be weakened by the powers of the adversary. In Romans 8: 1, we read, "If God be for us, "who can be against us? (Romans 8: 31).  
Prayer: LORD, be my light, my Salvation and the strength.   Let Your light shine through me, to bring the light of Your truth to a dark world. Amen.
Thought for the day:  The Lord is salvation to the lost, wholeness to the broken, comfort for the troubled, healing for the sick, and joy for the downtrodden.

Dr. Thomas Ninan,  Mar Thoma Church of Greater Washington

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind who are evil by nature, give good gifts t
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more