An Emoji Devotions for Thu 13th May, 2021

Topic: Do not hide your face from me!

By H.U.Wenger

Highlights: 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? (Psalm 27:1)

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Psalm 27 spreads joy and confidence in the victory of the Lord in the first six verses. The Psalmist is very certain about God’s help. When the wicked will devour him, they will stumble and fall, when war will rise against him, his heart gets not afraid, because he relies on the Lord. He wants to dwell in the house of the Lord to gaze on the beauty and goodness of the Lord and seek him in his temple. He firmly believes that in times of troubles the Lord will hide him in his dwelling place and eventually exalt him above his enemies. He sees himself bringing sacrifices to the Lord with shouts of joy, with hymns and music. Is the psalmist here just in an enthusiastic mood or does he depicts reality? Jesus makes clear that the words of Psalm 27 speak out a spiritual reality, for now in the faith and spirit and once in plain visible reality. (John 14:1 – 3; 17, 24 et alii)
David has intimate moments with the Lord and gets glimpses of what will be in the future for ever and ever, and in the same way it applies for us. Good keeps his promises, there is no doubt. David and we with him, do, however, not live yet in that glorious time. Verse 7 has therefore a slightly different tune. It is the urgent plea to God to hear his voice, to listen to him and to answer him. He is thirsting to meet the Lord, and to look into his face. Do not hide your face from me – you are my only help – do not reject or forsake me. In all of his thoughts he clings to the fact that the Lord is his savior. Although he is afraid of his oppressors, he holds the conviction that he will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. To his own soul and to us he exclaims: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
When I do not see the face of the Lord, when I have a feeling he hides his face from me, I need to keep on searching and like David, I will finally have glimpses of the future kingdom actuality. I need to search the Bible with patience to see what His word is saying concerning my situation. Patience in God's promises can be defined as awaiting God’s time without doubting God’s goodness and love.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you that you are my light and my salvation. Thank you that you are the stronghold of my life. Let me never fear humans or be afraid of circumstances or powers. Let me wait for you with patience and let me always seek your face – I need you. Amen