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?
When evildoers assail me, uttering slanders against me, my adversaries and foes, they shall stumble and fall.
Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. ( Psalms 27:1-4 )
Today’s reading takes us from the Person and Truth of God, through our fears and oppressions, all the way to triumph and then … into the Presence of the Lord. In four verses! I’ve often thought that if you could memorize only one passage of Scripture with which to prevail in life, this would be a great one.
When we dwell in the house of the Lord, which is Christ, we abide in light and in salvation. Can we begin to imagine what our homes would be like if everyone who came though the door stepped into this tabernacle? Oh, Lord Jesus! Be Light to us this Christmas!
The next verse, verse 5, says this:
For in time of trouble he will hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle He will hide me, and set me up upon a rock.
David is speaking of being in Christ, all those centuries before the birth of his Lord and Savior! Here we are, in the 21st century, reading about it. We are thoroughly modern, of course, and we can have light, we can flood our homes with manufactured radiance, with the flick of a switch, but oh! … to illumine our hearts and our hearths with Light and Salvation, personified! . . . think of it! We can do that, too!
That is our Advent wish, our desire, and our prayer. I love that Jesus said, in John 15:7, “Ask what you wish, and it will be done for you.” We speak of Christmas wishes, and now is the time to have them answered. The precursor was, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you …” and that statement is universally grand! We get the Presence and the Promise, the Promise and the Presence! – that’s Christmas, dear ones! We may wish and will to abide in Christ, with all the beauties and eternal blessing to be found there.
So light your Advent candles today, my friends … and make a wish . . . and don’t forget to believe! That will ever be the spark to the kindling.
Young Man with a Candle
Michael Gobin, public domain
Marketplace Monastics 