Today’s Advent Reflection is from Jenny Gallimore
Psalm 27
‘Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’
1 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?
2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:
to live 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.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Reflection
When I was a little girl, I was afraid of the dark. A childish fear, perhaps, but a genuine one nevertheless. I would plead with my parents to leave the landing light on at night time so that I wouldn't be plunged into the complete darkness that terrified me at bedtime. In the end, we came to a compromise where they left the hall light on downstairs - so that some light would reach my open bedroom door, but not so much as to disturb my siblings in their rooms. That chink of light in my room at night was a beacon of comfort for me, and it helped me to sleep. You might well ask, why didn't I just have a night light for my bedroom? My parents always said that they didn't want me to become reliant on a night light, in case we ever stayed somewhere where I couldn't have one. Besides, surely, I would grow out of such a fear?
David opens Psalm 27 with the words, '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?'. I find this opening to be immediately reassuring. There isn't anything to be frightened of. In much the same way as our hall light shone through the night for me as a child, the Lord is the light in our lives; shining in the dark and giving us hope. God is with us, even in the difficult times. This year has been a challenge for all of us in different ways, but I have actually found that my faith has grown stronger during this time, and that God has given me strength which I didn't know that I had. He is indeed my 'stronghold'.
David faced his fair share of troubles in his time. In this Psalm, he is struggling against enemies who are 'spouting malicious accusations'. He cries out to the Lord in prayer: 'Hear my voice when I call, Lord'. We all need to feel listened to and to have someone to depend on in times of struggle. During these strange and often isolating times, we might have felt cut off from some of our usual sources of support. For myself, as a mother with two young children, I have really missed the company of other mums at playgroup and being able to take my children to their normal activities. Of course, I've also missed being able to see family and friends. My family haven't been there in person to hear my son begin to talk properly (and not stop!), and they have missed seeing my daughter learn to walk. So, for me, to have the support of God has been crucial. I've found prayer to be almost therapeutic, and knowing that God is listening has been a great comfort. Knowing that, as David says, "in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling" has helped me greatly.
Psalm 27 ends with the words, 'I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.' I find this ending to the psalm as uplifting and encouraging as I do the beginning. We have seen great acts of good and kindness during this pandemic, and I feel quite strongly that this has been God-inspired. As it is Advent, and we are preparing to celebrate Jesus coming into the world, these last words of the Psalm remind me that in waiting for the Lord, we can be strong by His grace.
You will be glad to know that I have long since outgrown my fear of the dark (my parents' refusal to give me a night light evidently worked in the end). But now I have something far greater and more comforting than a night light - the knowledge that Jesus is the light of the world who brings great hope to all who believe in Him. And if that doesn't bring us comfort and joy, then I don't know what else will.
I hope everyone is safe and well, and wish everyone a very Happy Christmas!