Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
“My
light”, “My Salvation” and the “Strength of My Life”
“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