January 22nd - Reflection

Psalm 27:1-6 (NRSV)
God is light and salvation

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
to devour my flesh
my adversaries and foes
they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.

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.

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.

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.

Reflection
The first three verses of this Psalm are my confirmation verses. It is God who is my Light. God shows me the way and the path to take. God directs my steps. When I wander off, I lose the Light and wander into darkness. In darkness, I turn around and search for the Light. I need the Light for direction and safety. I need the Light to follow. Without the Light, I will fall or stumble in my path.

With the guidance of the Light and the darkness all around; I have God with me. God is with me in the Light. It is only in this Light that I can trust. As long as I am in the Light, I have nothing to fear. Sure, I will be surprised by something out of the darkness. I will be surprised by the unknown reaching to pull me into the darkness, but I can always come back to the Light.

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." - Genesis 1:1-3

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing cane into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. - John 1:1-5

God is light and salvation. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, shine you light through me, in me, around me, above me, below me, in front of me, behind me and beside me that all may see your Light and give glory to You. --- Amen