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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? 2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. 7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek. 9 Do 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, God my Savior. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. 13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27 NIV)
Can I blame the eyes? Or the mind? Anyway, here we are at Friday and we should be reading Friday Faith Feeding, but you got a bonus! Two Old Testament passages because this old man saw the Micah passage and loved it, not noticing that it is for the Sunday of February 1st! So, I got a day off next week! Yay! We all win!
Fear is a good word especially for today and what we witness happening all across our nation. At the risk of sounding political, this is not God's doing what we are seeing happening to sectors of our country. Jesus would have no part in this other than to call us to repentance. His cousin John would be losing his head again because he spoke out for the moral wrongs he saw happening in the palace. He spoke out against it fearing only God and what God thought about the arrangement. Jesus continues his message about the need to repent and to draw closer to God.
If one is afraid of the dark, one avoids dark places. I for one, would hate to be the last one in a funeral home, having to turn off lights and make sure doors are locked. During my year in Denver as I had re-entered seminary at Iliff School of Theology, I yearned to worship in a Spanish-speaking church and I asked a longtime friend who officed in the seminary if there were any such churches in Denver. He said there was a Presbyterian church that sang one hymn in Spanish, and off I went that Sunday. I arrived early enough to meet the pastor who was thrilled to have a seminary student there and once worship started made a big deal of my presence and that I was from Texas. Immediately after worship a young couple came excitedly to meet me and to tell me they were Texans too, from Kerrville, and that they would love for me to join them for lunch. Free meals for seminary students is a require course and of course I said yes. They said to follow them home and so I did and soon I was parked in an abandoned gas station and immediately across the street from an old home serving as a funeral home. Gulp. I asked what we were doing here and the wife said her husband was a funeral director and they lived upstairs. The chapel had the stairs that led upstairs and there was a body in a coffin and some people there. She whispered that the dead body was "The young man who was shot 19 times downtown!" Gulp again! As we got closer to their apartment she again whispered, "My husband did a great job! Once the family leaves we'll take you downstairs so you can see the wounds!" Gulp a third time. We had a nice lunch and the husband said, "There's an apartment down the hall that's empty and you can live in it for free!" (I'm tired of gulping!). Oh really, I asked? "Yes, all you would have to do is be on call nights." Call, meaning? "You'd go to people's homes and bring back the body." Eh. I love my apartment there on campus.
In the season of Epiphany, we celebrate light breaking into darkness—the manifestation of Christ to the world. David's confident declaration in Psalm 27 resonates deeply with this theme. He doesn't merely say God gives light; he proclaims that the Lord is light itself.
When the Magi followed the star to find the infant King, they were seeking this very light—the one who would illuminate all nations. Like those wise travelers, we too can approach God's presence with confidence, not because we are worthy, but because His light has already pierced our darkness.
David understood something profound: when God is your light, fear loses its power. The threats that once loomed large—enemies, troubles, spiritual darkness—shrink in the radiance of His presence. Notice how David moves from asking "whom shall I fear?" to the even bolder "of whom shall I be afraid?" Fear doesn't just diminish; it becomes absurd.
The psalm continues with David's singular desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord, to gaze upon His beauty. This Epiphany season, we're reminded that Christ didn't just appear for a moment in history. He remains Emmanuel—God with us—inviting us to abide in His light continually.
PRAYER: Lord, You are my light and my salvation. In this Epiphany season, help me walk confidently in Your radiance, releasing every fear to You. Let my one desire be to dwell in Your presence all my days. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: identify one fear you're carrying and speak Psalm 27:1 over it. Ask God to replace that fear with confidence in His light.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me. Be light as you bless others.
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
