An Exuberant Declaration of Faith

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;Whom shall I fear?The Lord is the strength of my life;Of whom shall I be afraid?² When the wicked came against meTo eat up my flesh,My enemies and foes,They stumbled and fell.³ Though an army may encamp against me,My heart shall not fear;Though war may rise against me,In this I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I have desired of the Lord,That will I seek:That I may dwell in the house of the LordAll the days of my life,To behold the beauty of the Lord,And to inquire in His temple.⁵ For in the time of troubleHe shall hide me in His pavilion;In the secret place of His tabernacleHe shall hide me;He shall set me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

⁷ Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.⁸ When You said, “Seek My face,”My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”⁹ Do not hide Your face from me;Do not turn Your servant away in anger;You have been my help;Do not leave me nor forsake me,O God of my salvation.¹⁰ When my father and my mother forsake me,Then the Lord will take care of me.

¹¹ Teach me Your way, O Lord,And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.¹² Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;For false witnesses have risen against me,And such as breathe out violence.¹³ I would have lost heart, unless I had believedThat I would see the goodness of the LordIn the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait on the Lord;Be of good courage,And He shall strengthen your heart;Wait, I say, on the Lord!