Bubbles

The Lord is my glass window of protection…

“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?” —Psalm 27:1, NIV.

Who hasn’t been afraid of something? And though we might wish that fear were just an occasional phenomenon, we most often exchange one fear for another, or simply accumulate them until they cripple us.

For the psalmist, the fear was a “whom” not a “what” and David certainly had lots of people in his life who were a threat to him. The verses immediately following describe evil men and armies coming up against him to destroy him.

Then David makes an unusual request of God. He asks the Lord for the privilege of sheltering in His house. Traditionally, the church was often regarded as a place where people could seek sanctuary and be protected against anyone looking to harm them. But long before church buildings came into being and were used for those purposes, David knew the meaning of sanctuary.

It’s unlikely that David is speaking of a physical building here. The temple wasn’t built yet and the tabernacle was not sacrosanct as a place of refuge. But David knew how to wrap himself in the cloak of God’s place of protection as though it were a bubble that provided a barrier between him and the world, and yet allowed him freedom to move and take that bubble with him.

He writes that this place of security was something he had to seek. It was a place  where he could feel above the fray and be able to look down on his enemies from the tactical advantage of height. It was a place of praise and worship. It was a safe place (Psalm 27:4-6).

It was a heart to heart place: “Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me, My heart says of you, “‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek” —Psalm 27:7, 8, NIV.

David’s sanctuary from fear was that place of constant communion with, of prayer and praise to, the One who holds fear by the throat. And from that place, David could confidently urge us to: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” —Psalm 27:14, NIV.