Psalm 27:1  Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?  (World English Bible)

David spent years living with the reality that men were pursuing him to kill him.  King Saul wanted him dead.  Even though an army besieged him, he wrote, “…my heart will not  fear.”  Although bravery played a role in this, there is far more to it than that.  At the
center of his life was Yahweh, and He made all the difference.  David was “a man after His own heart”.

This verse describes such a marvelous and practical aspect of our life in Christ.  The peace and confidence that are there for us; to sustain, encourage and protect us in the midst of fear.  We can get them by embracing Him.  Sadly, that old saying that you can lead a
horse to water but you can’t make it drink can be all too true of us.  Just because God has provision for us, doesn’t mean we will take advantage of it.

It’s probably safe to say that none of us have men and armies pursuing us to kill us.  But take a look around us and we see all manner of frightening things: economic uncertainty, job losses, threats of terrorism, immorality running rampant, marriages and families falling apart, Christians being persecuted throughout the world and here in the United States as well – the list just goes on.

Those with younger children, have the concern of raising them to be true Christ-followers.  We read of young Christian men and women losing their faith when they go off to college.  We can succumb to the fear of thinking that ‘greater is the one in the world, than the one within them – or us’.  Rather than recognizing that as a lie of the enemy of our souls.

Is our focus going to be upon things that frighten and intimidate?  Or is our focus and ‘life-embrace’ going to be upon our Lord Jesus?  We cannot be casual in this or approach it
half-heartedly.  The enemy of our souls is using these things to pursue us, just as Saul’s men pursued David.  Our response must be to have our lives turn whole-heartedly to our Lord.  He is our light and salvation.  He is our strength.

We must learn to love Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.  We must learn what exactly that means, and do it – embracing a lifestyle that truly reflects us being men and women after God’s own heart.