Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.

Psalm 27: How to Overcome Fear with Courage and Hope

• James Long

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Title: Psalm 27: How to Overcome Fear with Courage and Hope

Psalm 27 speaks directly into one of life’s greatest struggles—fear. In this episode, discover how David overcomes fear by seeking the Lord as his light, salvation, and stronghold. Learn how to turn your anxieties into prayers, your longings into worship, and your waiting into hope-filled courage.

Episode Highlights

  • Fear is universal, but Psalm 27 teaches us to confront it by seeking God’s presence.
  • David declares his confidence in the Lord as his light, salvation, and stronghold (vv. 1–3).
  • His “one thing” is not escape but dwelling in God’s presence (vv. 4–6).
  • Prayer is the believer’s lifeline in seasons of fear and uncertainty (vv. 7–12).
  • Waiting on the Lord strengthens courage and deepens trust (vv. 13–14).
  • Christ is the Light of the world and our eternal stronghold (John 8:12; Colossians 3:3).
  • Fear is overcome not by denial but by faith in God’s steadfast love.

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ABOUT JAMES and LESSONS FOR LIFE

Are you seeking hope, wisdom, and practical solutions to life’s challenges? Dr. James Long, Jr., pastor, counselor, and professor with over 30 years of experience, helps people discover God’s solutions to emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges. Each episode of Lessons for Life points you to the peace and freedom found in Jesus Christ.

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Speaker 1:

Hey everyone, it's James Long Jr and welcome back to Lessons for Life. We are in our series called Counseling Through the Psalms. Do me a favor and grab your Bible and a journal and turn with me to Psalm chapter 27. Now, fear is one of the most universal human experiences. Whether it's a fear of failure, a fear for our children, a fear of the unknown future or even fear of death, anxiety can grip our hearts and steal our peace. Now, psalm 27 is a powerful reminder that the way to overcome fear is not by ignoring it, but by seeking the Lord as our light, our salvation and our stronghold. Now, if I were to give you a summary of chapter 27 of Psalm 27, I should say Now, if I were to give you a summary of chapter 27 of Psalm 27, I should say Psalm 27 weaves together two movements. There's a bold confidence. We see that in verses 1 through 6. And then there's a desperate prayer for God's presence. We see that in verses 7 through 14. Now David begins with this unwavering trust. He's declaring that he will not fear, even surrounded by his enemies. Yet he quickly shifts to crying out to the Lord's nearness and his guidance. The psalm closes with a renewed call to wait on the Lord with courage. This is a blend of assurance and lament, and it mirrors our own walk of faith. There are going to be moments where clarity is mixed with moments of struggle in your life, and I know that you and I struggle with these type of things. Now are going to be moments where clarity is mixed with moments of struggle in your life, and I know that you and I struggle with these type of things.

Speaker 1:

Now let's turn to Psalm, chapter 27, verse 1 through 3, and let's look at the confidence in God's protection. Now David opens this Psalm and he says the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, and whom shall I be afraid? So what he says is this that the enemies are real, his dangers are present, yet his trust is anchored in God's protection. Now, for us, it speaks directly to the moments when fear arises and when circumstances are uncertain and our relationships are fragile. God's presence does a steadying work in our lives. It steadies us even when everything else feels so unstable.

Speaker 1:

Now, as we look at verses 4 through 6, we see the one thing that's worth seeking verse 4 through 6. He says one thing I have asked of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in his house all the days of my life. David's greatest desire is not to escape, but for God himself. He said that one thing that I ask is that I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Now his heart longs for the beauty of God's presence, and there he finds safety and joy. It's in those seasons of fear that we're often tempted to chafe after solutions or quick fixes. Now David reminds himself that peace comes from gazing upon the Lord's beauty and anchoring his soul in worship.

Speaker 1:

So now David moves in verses 7 through 12. In this prayer for God's presence and his guidance, he begins by saying hear O Lord, when I cry out to you, be gracious to me and answer me. David now moves with confidence from lament, and so what he's doing is he's saying Lord, don I cry out to you, be gracious to me and answer me? David now moves with confidence from lament, and so what he's doing is he's saying Lord, don't hide your face from me. This is vulnerable. It's an honest prayer that reflects the ebb and flow of our own emotions. Even if others have abandoned him, david believes that God will receive him. And here's what he learns in this prayer, and we need to learn this as well. It's not about polish, it's not about performance, but it is about seeking God himself.

Speaker 1:

When fear returns, the response of faith is to keep turning to God in raw, dependent prayer. He ends the psalm in verses 13 and following. He says I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord. Now the psalm ends where it begins, with this hopeful exhortation. He says I believe in the Lord, and so waiting for the Lord doesn't mean a passive resignation. It's an act of trust strengthened by courage and perseverance. David speaks to his own heart and to ours. He says wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord.

Speaker 1:

There's a Christ-centered hope that we see in Psalm 27. The deepest fulfillment is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the light of the world. We see that in John 8.12. He is our salvation through his death and his resurrection. We see that in Hebrews 5.9. And he's our eternal stronghold Colossians 3.3. In Christ, god's face shines on us forever. We see that in 2 Corinthians 4.6. And what David longs for is a sanctuary where he's gazing on the beauty of the Lord. We now find beholding the glory of Christ, full of grace and full of truth John 1.14.

Speaker 1:

Now the doctrinal truths that we need to find from this psalm is this In Psalm 27, we see that God is our light, guiding and dispelling fears. We saw that in verse 1, but we also see that in 1 John 1 9. Next, we see in verse 1 that salvation belongs to the Lord. We also see that in Ephesians 2 8-9. A little bit later on, in verse 4, we see that God's presence is our greatest refuge and joy. We see that in verse 4, but we also see that in Psalm, chapter 16, verse 11. We also see that prayer is a believer's lifeline in fear and uncertainty. We saw that in verses 7 through 9,. But you also pick that up in Philippians, chapter 4, verses 6 through 7. We also saw that faith requires patience, waiting on God's timing. We see that in verse 14, no-transcript.

Speaker 1:

Now, if you take all of that doctrine and make it practical, practical theology, living out this psalm, psalm 27 calls us to turn our fears into prayer, a longing into worship and waiting into trust. We live this out by making space daily to seek the Lord's face through His Word and through prayer, and when we do that, we're surrounding ourselves with God's people in worship and reminding us that our anxious hearts are an opportunity for his promises to reign forward. Courage grows not in looking inward, but by fixing our gaze outward and upward, towards Christ. Now let's reflect and respond. Now grab your journal and maybe you want to spend some time looking through some of these questions. The first thing I want you to consider is this what are the fears or anxieties that are most pressing on your heart right now? What are the things that are causing you the greatest difficulties? The second thing I want you to consider is how does Psalm 27 invite you to bring those fears before the Lord in prayer?

Speaker 1:

Third, in what ways can you seek one thing? You saw that in verse four one thing. What ways are there that you can do? Seek one thing you saw that in verse 4, one thing. What ways are there that you can do that one thing that David desired? He desired to dwell in the presence of God. Next, where do you need to wait on the Lord instead of rushing ahead in your own strength. He talked about that waiting and taking the time to be patient, and waiting for the Lord to be strong, and let your heart be encouraged. Wait for the Lord.

Speaker 1:

And the last thing I want you to consider is this how does light, salvation and the stronghold of Christ strengthen you today and the days to come? Well, let's pray, lord, I thank you for being a light to us in our darkness. I thank you for being a salvation for us, the only salvation. I thank you, lord, for being the stronghold of our lives and when we are afraid, we can trust in you. Father, we have no control of the evildoers that will assail us, but we can do this one thing that we can seek you, that we can wait patiently for you. So fill us with your presence, remind us of your son, fill us with your glory. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen and amen. Well, I want you to remind yourself of the truths here, of Psalm chapter 27, that waiting on the Lord. You do that with courage. It reminds us that fear is overcome not by denial, but by seeking the Lord's presence and trusting his deliverance. His light, his salvation, his strength will give us courage to our anxious hearts.

Speaker 1:

I would love it if you would consider joining our free navigator level of Lessons for Life community at jameslongjrorg slash community. There you'll get some devotionals, some great content. You'll have the opportunity for meetups as well. It's a wonderful opportunity and it's free Now. If you want to explore the full membership or coaching options, go to jameslongjrorg slash, sign up now. You'll access devotionals, life meetups, biblical training that will help you to grow emotionally, relationally and spiritually. Well, remind yourself here of Psalm 27. When fear surrounds you and your heart is unsteady, keep your eyes focused on the Lord. He is your light and your salvation. Well, thank you so much for being with us today. We look forward to having you next time. Until then, be blessed everyone. Take care.

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