It's good to think more deeply about the mercies of God in times of crisis. To help guide us in this effort, we'll consider Paul David Tripp's collection of meditations from Psalm 27 called "A Shelter in the Time of Storm." You can get your own copy on Amazon here.

The Lord is my light 
and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?

Psalm 27:1

This meditation in Tripp's book is simply a poem tying together several of the themes he's covered so far and drawing an important conclusion about fear (the conclusion of verse 1).

In a world that is held
in such deep darkness
where the light of truth
often seems more of a flicker
than a flame,
in a world where
deceit
dishonesty
falsehood
and foolishness
divert and distort
the lives of so man,
in times when a myriad
voices
say so
much
about so many things,
where confusion seems
readily available
and clarity seems
hard to find,
in a world where opinions
rise to a place
where only truth should be,
and every voice
seems to get an equal hearing,
in the constant cacophony
of ten thousand
contradictory voices,
it is a wonderful
and amazing thing
to be able to say
with rest and confidence,
The Lord is my Light!
My heart has been lit
by the illuminating
and protective glory
of His
powerful and transforming grace,
my mind has been renewed
by the luminescent presence
of His truth-guiding
Holy Spirit,
and my life has been guided
down straight paths
by the ever-shining lamp
of His Word.
I am not afraid,
but it is not because
I am strong
or wise.
I am not afraid,
but it is not because
I have power
or position.
I am not afraid,
but it is not because
I have health
or wealth.
I am not afraid;
but it is not because
my circumstances
or relationships
are easy.
I am not afraid
for one glorious reason:
I have been lit by the 
Lord of Light.
In the darkness
of this fallen world,
I no longer walk
in the night,
but I have been given
the Light of Life.
I am not afraid
because Light lives in me.
This one amazing reality
gives me rest;
I have been rescued from
darkness
and transported into the
light
and I am not afraid.

There's a lot out there that could be a cause for fear. If you were making a list of the scary things in your life, or writing a poem about them, what would you include?

Tripp, perhaps surprisingly, focuses on all the things that make truth hard to find.

• The presence of so many intentional lies;
• The presence of so many wrong opinions (unintentional lies);
• A culture that rejects objective truth;
• A culture that rejects sources of authority.

Truth is very hard to find. Shouldn't we be fearful about that?

Yes, if not for one thing: "The Lord is my light." The impact of his renewing grace on our fallen minds is that we can find and understand the truth he's revealed in his word and in the world he's made. 

Questions to Consider

The questions are Tripp's. I included my answers in case they're helpful to read.

1. Where is your living limited or diverted by fear?

- I'm fearful that people will not accept me if I don't have all the answers. I should give them the answer (or often just ask the questions) that demonstrate love for neighbor rather than concern for self.

2. When you are tempted to give way to fear, what truths about God do you need to remember? 

- My acceptance with him is absolute and perfect in Christ. My ability to please him in daily living is connected not to having the answers but to loving my neighbor as myself.