Whom Shall I Fear? Psalm 27:1

 The Christian Ladies Network recently started a Bible Memory Challenge, Through The Word. Each month we will study a new portion of scripture, and make a post about what we have learned. This is our first verse:

Psalm 27:1 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?


A Bible study and song

My first thoughts when I read this verse were:
The Lord is my light....No matter how dark the night, No matter how dark my circumstance, No matter how dark the path ahead, No matter how dark my thoughts....the Lord is my light.
And He IS my salvation...No matter what comes, No matter how often I fail, I am secure IN HIM...The Lord is my salvation.
He is the strength of my life...No matter how small my strength; No matter what obstacles I face, No matter how difficult the way, he has all the strength I need....He is the strength of my life.
Whom shall I fear?....No matter what lies ahead, No matter what decisions I must make, No matter what other people may do, No matter what trial I face....Of whom shall I be afraid?


Psalm 21:7 is a familiar verse, and I've written two songs in the past that include parts of it; My God, My Strength and The Strength of My Life, but I hadn't really done a study specifically on this verse before...so I started digging, and of course it didn't take long to find another song. I haven't completed the music yet but I've put portions of the lyrics within the study. The full song is at the bottom.

I started my study by looking at each part of the verse and looking up other verses on the same topic, starting with The Lord is my light....

There are many verses in the Bible that speak of the Lord being light. These are some of them:

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
1 John 1: 5  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

One verse in particular stood out. I know I've read it before, but it's easy to just skim over verses when you're reading, and not really stop to think about it.

Isaiah 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way they knew not; I will lead them in paths they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

 We are all blind, lost sinners until we come to know Jesus, the light of the world. We're walking in darkness, thinking we know the way, we continue on, sometimes following another man, or just making our own way. But when Jesus comes, he shows us a new way, a way that we knew not. He leads us on this new path, he guides and directs us in the one way that leads to God. We may wander from him at times, but he will never forsake us. 

 When we look to God and his word, he lights the path ahead, and guides our footsteps: Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Though we may be uncertain of the way, God knows and he guides us with his word. We may not find all of our answers spelled out, but we can look to God's word and the principals we find there to help us in every circumstance. When we love the Lord with all our heart soul and mind, and love others as ourselves, and we seek to do right, we don't need to know all of the answers.  So many times when we are going through a valley, we can't see how things will possibly work out, but God will lead us through the dark, crooked way into the light....and when we come out the other side, we can look back and see why God allowed certain things to come across our path.

God leads the blind by a path they've not known;
The darkness becomes light before them.
The crooked way is made straight; His own he'll never forsake.
His word's a lamp and a light to my path.

In looking at the phrase "my salvation," I found that there was some overlap with "The Lord is the strength of my life."


 Trust, joy, praise, rejoicing and song were also words that were found along with God being our strength and salvation. All of these should be evident in our lives if we are saved and our strength comes from the Lord. He is the true Light, and he "lighteth every man that cometh into the world." When we're trusting the Lord, we have no cause for dismay...exalting God, and singing songs of praise should be a natural response to his working in our lives.


 So often in Church, a song will come to my mind during the preaching. For me, God's word and songs are so intertwined, that when I study the Bible, songs just seem to flow from the word.

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Psalm 62:7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, he is my God.
Habakkuk 3:18 Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

The Lord is my strength and song; my salvation.
My God, and I will exalt him.
I will rejoice in the Lord; in the true Light of the world;
Sing songs of praise, for I'll not be dismayed.

 When we truly understand that our strength comes from the Lord, that even when we can't see the path ahead, we can trust His word to light the way, then we realize that we need not be afraid. Only in his strength can we face the trials of this life. We go to God, our rock, our fortress, our refuge, and high tower. Whatever befalls us, we can know that God has allowed it, and we can trust that he knows what is needed in our lives. 

 If I am living in fear, or having doubts and confusion, I need to look to God, and ask Him to show me if there is some sin in my life, that is diminishing his light in my life. When I am feeling stressed, I need to remind myself, that God is in control. When the people I love are going through difficulties, I need to respond by directing them to God and to his word.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.

Psalm 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

He's my rock, and my fortress, my refuge, and high tower,
And he commands,  "Be of good courage."
Be not afraid in the night, or of the arrow in flight.
He will uphold me; give strength for each hour.

Psalm 27:1 sums it all up....

Psalm 27:1 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?

And again....

Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

The Lord is my light and salvation: whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord is on my side: I will not fear.
I will trust and not be afraid.


Other verses I found in my study 

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Habakkuk 3:4 And his brightness was as the light;

Revelation 21: 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamb is the light thereof.


Whom Shall I Fear?
©2017 Deb Bolack



God leads the blind by a path they've not known;

The darkness becomes light before them.
The crooked way is made straight; His own he'll never forsake.
His word's a lamp and a light to my path.

The Lord is my light and salvation: whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord is on my side: I will not fear.
I will trust and not be afraid. 

The Lord is my strength and song; my salvation. 
My God, and I will exalt him. 
I will rejoice in the Lord; in the true Light of the world;
Sing songs of praise, for I'll not be dismayed.

The Lord is my light and salvation: whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord is on my side: I will not fear.
I will trust and not be afraid.



He's my rock, and my fortress, my refuge, and high tower,
And he commands be of good courage;

Be not afraid in the night, or of the arrow in flight
He will uphold me; give strength for each hour.

The Lord is my light and salvation: whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord is on my side: I will not fear.
I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord is my light and salvation; Whom shall I fear?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Bible Study and song

2 comments:

  1. I love this, Deb! There is so much in that one little verse, all we need to do is stop and ponder what is there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, it's amazing what you find when you take the time for a closer look. Thank YOU for starting Through the Word!

    ReplyDelete

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