Wait for the Lord…Be Strong and Courageous

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek." Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up. Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a level path because of my foes. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:1-14  

 

Psalm 27 is associated with the month of Elul which occurs the month before Rosh Hashanah. Every day that month during the worship in the synagogue that psalm is recited and the shofar is blown. It reminds people that the time of repentance is coming soon and they need to consider their transgressions of the past year. At the end of Elul special penitential prayers are recited asking for forgiveness. Those prayers include the thirteen merciful attributes of God that are noted when Moses goes up to Mount Sinai to get the second copy of the Ten Commandments. Then the LORD passed by in front of him (Moses) and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." Exodus 34:6-7. Rosh Hashanah has begun. God is good…and He is merciful—to a point. The guilty will be punished. Have you considered your past transgressions and are you waiting for the Lord—hopeful of His return?

 

Prayer ~ Holy Spirit—As You were with Moses there on Mount Sinai You are here with us now reminding us to wait for the Lord…and to be strong and take courage. As we wait upon the Lord for His return, we do take courage and have hope in the goodness of God and for the salvation of our family, friends and neighbors.

 

© 2015 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

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