August 28, 2025 • 9 mins
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.
Resources and Next Steps
- Join the free Navigator Level of the Lessons for Life Community: https://jameslongjr.org/community
- Explore full membership and coaching options: https://jameslongjr.org/signupnow
- Download devotionals, attend live meetups, and access biblical life training to grow emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.
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.
Resources and Next Steps
- Join the free Navigator Level of the Lessons for Life Community: https://jameslongjr.org/community
- Explore full membership and coaching options: https://jameslongjr.org/signupnow
Listen and Subscribe: Find Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr., wherever you listen to podcasts
Connect
- Instagram: https://jameslongjr.org/instagram
- Facebook: https://jameslongjr.org/facebook
- YouTube: https://jameslongjr.org/youtube
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, it's James Long Jr and welcome back
to Lessons for Life.
We are in our series calledCounseling Through the Psalms.
Do me a favor and grab yourBible and a journal and turn
with me to Psalm chapter 27.
Now, fear is one of the mostuniversal human experiences.
Whether it's a fear of failure,a fear for our children, a fear
(00:23):
of the unknown future or evenfear of death, anxiety can grip
our hearts and steal our peace.
Now, psalm 27 is a powerfulreminder that the way to
overcome fear is not by ignoringit, but by seeking the Lord as
our light, our salvation and ourstronghold.
Now, if I were to give you asummary of chapter 27 of Psalm
(00:43):
27, I should say Now, if I wereto give you a summary of chapter
27 of Psalm 27, I should sayPsalm 27 weaves together two
movements.
There's a bold confidence.
We see that in verses 1 through6.
And then there's a desperateprayer for God's presence.
We see that in verses 7 through14.
Now David begins with thisunwavering trust.
He's declaring that he will notfear, even surrounded by his
(01:06):
enemies.
Yet he quickly shifts to cryingout to the Lord's nearness and
his guidance.
The psalm closes with a renewedcall to wait on the Lord with
courage.
This is a blend of assuranceand lament, and it mirrors our
own walk of faith.
There are going to be momentswhere clarity is mixed with
moments of struggle in your life, and I know that you and I
struggle with these type ofthings.
Now are going to be momentswhere clarity is mixed with
moments of struggle in your life, and I know that you and I
(01:26):
struggle with these type ofthings.
Now let's turn to Psalm, chapter27, verse 1 through 3, and
let's look at the confidence inGod's protection.
Now David opens this Psalm andhe says the Lord is my light and
my salvation.
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold ofmy life, and whom shall I be
afraid?
So what he says is this thatthe enemies are real, his
(01:49):
dangers are present, yet histrust is anchored in God's
protection.
Now, for us, it speaks directlyto the moments when fear arises
and when circumstances areuncertain and our relationships
are fragile.
God's presence does a steadyingwork in our lives.
It steadies us even wheneverything else feels so
unstable.
(02:10):
Now, as we look at verses 4through 6, we see the one thing
that's worth seeking verse 4through 6.
He says one thing I have askedof the Lord that I will seek
after that I may dwell in hishouse all the days of my life.
David's greatest desire is notto escape, but for God himself.
He said that one thing that Iask is that I dwell in the house
(02:31):
of the Lord all the days of mylife.
Now his heart longs for thebeauty of God's presence, and
there he finds safety and joy.
It's in those seasons of fearthat we're often tempted to
chafe after solutions or quickfixes.
Now David reminds himself thatpeace comes from gazing upon the
Lord's beauty and anchoring hissoul in worship.
(02:52):
So now David moves in verses 7through 12.
In this prayer for God'spresence 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 confidencefrom lament, and so what he's
doing is he's saying Lord, don Icry out to you, be gracious to
me and answer me?
David now moves with confidencefrom lament, and so what he's
doing is he's saying Lord, don'thide your face from me.
This is vulnerable.
It's an honest prayer thatreflects the ebb and flow of our
(03:15):
own emotions.
Even if others have abandonedhim, david believes that God
will receive him.
And here's what he learns inthis prayer, and we need to
learn this as well.
It's not about polish, it's notabout performance, but it is
about seeking God himself.
When fear returns, the responseof faith is to keep turning to
God in raw, dependent prayer.
(03:36):
He ends the psalm in verses 13and following.
He says I believe that I shalllook upon the goodness of the
Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord, be strongand let your heart take courage.
Wait for the Lord.
Now the psalm ends where itbegins, with this hopeful
exhortation.
He says I believe in the Lord,and so waiting for the Lord
(03:59):
doesn't mean a passiveresignation.
It's an act of truststrengthened by courage and
perseverance.
David speaks to his own heartand to ours.
He says wait for the Lord, bestrong and let your heart take
courage, wait for the Lord.
There's a Christ-centered hopethat we see in Psalm 27.
The deepest fulfillment isfound in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(04:22):
He's the light of the world.
We see that in John 8.12.
He is our salvation through hisdeath and his resurrection.
We see that in Hebrews 5.9.
And he's our eternal strongholdColossians 3.3.
In Christ, god's face shines onus forever.
We see that in 2 Corinthians4.6.
(04:44):
And what David longs for is asanctuary where he's gazing on
the beauty of the Lord.
We now find beholding the gloryof Christ, full of grace and
full of truth John 1.14.
Now the doctrinal truths that weneed to find from this psalm is
this In Psalm 27, we see thatGod is our light, guiding and
(05:04):
dispelling fears.
We saw that in verse 1, but wealso see that in 1 John 1 9.
Next, we see in verse 1 thatsalvation belongs to the Lord.
We also see that in Ephesians 28-9.
A little bit later on, in verse4, we see that God's presence
is our greatest refuge and joy.
We see that in verse 4, but wealso see that in Psalm, chapter
(05:26):
16, verse 11.
We also see that prayer is abeliever's lifeline in fear and
uncertainty.
We saw that in verses 7 through9,.
But you also pick that up inPhilippians, chapter 4, verses 6
through 7.
We also saw that faith requirespatience, waiting on God's
timing.
We see that in verse 14,no-transcript.
(05:48):
Now, if you take all of thatdoctrine and make it practical,
practical theology, living outthis psalm, psalm 27 calls us to
turn our fears into prayer, alonging into worship and waiting
into trust.
We live this out by makingspace daily to seek the Lord's
face through His Word andthrough prayer, and when we do
that, we're surroundingourselves with God's people in
(06:10):
worship and reminding us thatour anxious hearts are an
opportunity for his promises toreign forward.
Courage grows not in lookinginward, but by fixing our gaze
outward and upward, towardsChrist.
Now let's reflect and respond.
Now grab your journal and maybeyou want to spend some time
looking through some of thesequestions.
The first thing I want you toconsider is this what are the
(06:32):
fears or anxieties that are mostpressing on your heart right
now?
What are the things that arecausing you the greatest
difficulties?
The second thing I want you toconsider is how does Psalm 27
invite you to bring those fearsbefore the Lord in prayer?
Third, in what ways can you seekone thing?
You saw that in verse four onething.
(06:52):
What ways are there that youcan do?
Seek one thing you saw that inverse 4, one thing.
What ways are there that youcan do that one thing that David
desired?
He desired to dwell in thepresence of God.
Next, where do you need to waiton the Lord instead of rushing
ahead in your own strength.
He talked about that waitingand taking the time to be
patient, and waiting for theLord to be strong, and let your
(07:13):
heart be encouraged.
Wait for the Lord.
And the last thing I want you toconsider is this how does light
, salvation and the strongholdof Christ strengthen you today
and the days to come?
Well, let's pray, lord, I thankyou for being a light to us in
our darkness.
I thank you for being asalvation for us, the only
(07:33):
salvation.
I thank you, lord, for beingthe stronghold of our lives and
when we are afraid, we can trustin you.
Father, we have no control ofthe evildoers that will assail
us, but we can do this one thingthat 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.
(07:53):
In Jesus' name, we pray Amenand amen.
Well, I want you to remindyourself of the truths here, of
Psalm chapter 27, that waitingon the Lord.
You do that with courage.
It reminds us that fear isovercome not by denial, but by
seeking the Lord's presence andtrusting his deliverance.
His light, his salvation, hisstrength will give us courage to
(08:15):
our anxious hearts.
I would love it if you wouldconsider joining our free
navigator level of Lessons forLife community at jameslongjrorg
slash community.
There you'll get somedevotionals, some great content.
You'll have the opportunity formeetups as well.
It's a wonderful opportunityand it's free Now.
If you want to explore the fullmembership or coaching options,
(08:37):
go to jameslongjrorg slash,sign up now.
You'll access devotionals, lifemeetups, biblical training that
will help you to growemotionally, relationally and
spiritually.
Well, remind yourself here ofPsalm 27.
When fear surrounds you andyour heart is unsteady, keep
your eyes focused on the Lord.
He is your light and yoursalvation.
(08:59):
Well, thank you so much forbeing with us today.
We look forward to having younext time.
Until then, be blessed everyone.
Take care.
Hey everyone, it's James Long Jr and welcome back
to Lessons for Life.
We are in our series calledCounseling Through the Psalms.
Do me a favor and grab yourBible and a journal and turn
with me to Psalm chapter 27.
Now, fear is one of the mostuniversal human experiences.
Whether it's a fear of failure,a fear for our children, a fear
(00:23):
of the unknown future or evenfear of death, anxiety can grip
our hearts and steal our peace.
Now, psalm 27 is a powerfulreminder that the way to
overcome fear is not by ignoringit, but by seeking the Lord as
our light, our salvation and ourstronghold.
Now, if I were to give you asummary of chapter 27 of Psalm
(00:43):
27, I should say Now, if I wereto give you a summary of chapter
27 of Psalm 27, I should sayPsalm 27 weaves together two
movements.
There's a bold confidence.
We see that in verses 1 through6.
And then there's a desperateprayer for God's presence.
We see that in verses 7 through14.
Now David begins with thisunwavering trust.
He's declaring that he will notfear, even surrounded by his
(01:06):
enemies.
Yet he quickly shifts to cryingout to the Lord's nearness and
his guidance.
The psalm closes with a renewedcall to wait on the Lord with
courage.
This is a blend of assuranceand lament, and it mirrors our
own walk of faith.
There are going to be momentswhere clarity is mixed with
moments of struggle in your life, and I know that you and I
struggle with these type ofthings.
Now are going to be momentswhere clarity is mixed with
moments of struggle in your life, and I know that you and I
(01:26):
struggle with these type ofthings.
Now let's turn to Psalm, chapter27, verse 1 through 3, and
let's look at the confidence inGod's protection.
Now David opens this Psalm andhe says the Lord is my light and
my salvation.
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold ofmy life, and whom shall I be
afraid?
So what he says is this thatthe enemies are real, his
(01:49):
dangers are present, yet histrust is anchored in God's
protection.
Now, for us, it speaks directlyto the moments when fear arises
and when circumstances areuncertain and our relationships
are fragile.
God's presence does a steadyingwork in our lives.
It steadies us even wheneverything else feels so
unstable.
(02:10):
Now, as we look at verses 4through 6, we see the one thing
that's worth seeking verse 4through 6.
He says one thing I have askedof the Lord that I will seek
after that I may dwell in hishouse all the days of my life.
David's greatest desire is notto escape, but for God himself.
He said that one thing that Iask is that I dwell in the house
(02:31):
of the Lord all the days of mylife.
Now his heart longs for thebeauty of God's presence, and
there he finds safety and joy.
It's in those seasons of fearthat we're often tempted to
chafe after solutions or quickfixes.
Now David reminds himself thatpeace comes from gazing upon the
Lord's beauty and anchoring hissoul in worship.
(02:52):
So now David moves in verses 7through 12.
In this prayer for God'spresence 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 confidencefrom lament, and so what he's
doing is he's saying Lord, don Icry out to you, be gracious to
me and answer me?
David now moves with confidencefrom lament, and so what he's
doing is he's saying Lord, don'thide your face from me.
This is vulnerable.
It's an honest prayer thatreflects the ebb and flow of our
(03:15):
own emotions.
Even if others have abandonedhim, david believes that God
will receive him.
And here's what he learns inthis prayer, and we need to
learn this as well.
It's not about polish, it's notabout performance, but it is
about seeking God himself.
When fear returns, the responseof faith is to keep turning to
God in raw, dependent prayer.
(03:36):
He ends the psalm in verses 13and following.
He says I believe that I shalllook upon the goodness of the
Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord, be strongand let your heart take courage.
Wait for the Lord.
Now the psalm ends where itbegins, with this hopeful
exhortation.
He says I believe in the Lord,and so waiting for the Lord
(03:59):
doesn't mean a passiveresignation.
It's an act of truststrengthened by courage and
perseverance.
David speaks to his own heartand to ours.
He says wait for the Lord, bestrong and let your heart take
courage, wait for the Lord.
There's a Christ-centered hopethat we see in Psalm 27.
The deepest fulfillment isfound in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(04:22):
He's the light of the world.
We see that in John 8.12.
He is our salvation through hisdeath and his resurrection.
We see that in Hebrews 5.9.
And he's our eternal strongholdColossians 3.3.
In Christ, god's face shines onus forever.
We see that in 2 Corinthians4.6.
(04:44):
And what David longs for is asanctuary where he's gazing on
the beauty of the Lord.
We now find beholding the gloryof Christ, full of grace and
full of truth John 1.14.
Now the doctrinal truths that weneed to find from this psalm is
this In Psalm 27, we see thatGod is our light, guiding and
(05:04):
dispelling fears.
We saw that in verse 1, but wealso see that in 1 John 1 9.
Next, we see in verse 1 thatsalvation belongs to the Lord.
We also see that in Ephesians 28-9.
A little bit later on, in verse4, we see that God's presence
is our greatest refuge and joy.
We see that in verse 4, but wealso see that in Psalm, chapter
(05:26):
16, verse 11.
We also see that prayer is abeliever's lifeline in fear and
uncertainty.
We saw that in verses 7 through9,.
But you also pick that up inPhilippians, chapter 4, verses 6
through 7.
We also saw that faith requirespatience, waiting on God's
timing.
We see that in verse 14,no-transcript.
(05:48):
Now, if you take all of thatdoctrine and make it practical,
practical theology, living outthis psalm, psalm 27 calls us to
turn our fears into prayer, alonging into worship and waiting
into trust.
We live this out by makingspace daily to seek the Lord's
face through His Word andthrough prayer, and when we do
that, we're surroundingourselves with God's people in
(06:10):
worship and reminding us thatour anxious hearts are an
opportunity for his promises toreign forward.
Courage grows not in lookinginward, but by fixing our gaze
outward and upward, towardsChrist.
Now let's reflect and respond.
Now grab your journal and maybeyou want to spend some time
looking through some of thesequestions.
The first thing I want you toconsider is this what are the
(06:32):
fears or anxieties that are mostpressing on your heart right
now?
What are the things that arecausing you the greatest
difficulties?
The second thing I want you toconsider is how does Psalm 27
invite you to bring those fearsbefore the Lord in prayer?
Third, in what ways can you seekone thing?
You saw that in verse four onething.
(06:52):
What ways are there that youcan do?
Seek one thing you saw that inverse 4, one thing.
What ways are there that youcan do that one thing that David
desired?
He desired to dwell in thepresence of God.
Next, where do you need to waiton the Lord instead of rushing
ahead in your own strength.
He talked about that waitingand taking the time to be
patient, and waiting for theLord to be strong, and let your
(07:13):
heart be encouraged.
Wait for the Lord.
And the last thing I want you toconsider is this how does light
, salvation and the strongholdof Christ strengthen you today
and the days to come?
Well, let's pray, lord, I thankyou for being a light to us in
our darkness.
I thank you for being asalvation for us, the only
(07:33):
salvation.
I thank you, lord, for beingthe stronghold of our lives and
when we are afraid, we can trustin you.
Father, we have no control ofthe evildoers that will assail
us, but we can do this one thingthat 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.
(07:53):
In Jesus' name, we pray Amenand amen.
Well, I want you to remindyourself of the truths here, of
Psalm chapter 27, that waitingon the Lord.
You do that with courage.
It reminds us that fear isovercome not by denial, but by
seeking the Lord's presence andtrusting his deliverance.
His light, his salvation, hisstrength will give us courage to
(08:15):
our anxious hearts.
I would love it if you wouldconsider joining our free
navigator level of Lessons forLife community at jameslongjrorg
slash community.
There you'll get somedevotionals, some great content.
You'll have the opportunity formeetups as well.
It's a wonderful opportunityand it's free Now.
If you want to explore the fullmembership or coaching options,
(08:37):
go to jameslongjrorg slash,sign up now.
You'll access devotionals, lifemeetups, biblical training that
will help you to growemotionally, relationally and
spiritually.
Well, remind yourself here ofPsalm 27.
When fear surrounds you andyour heart is unsteady, keep
your eyes focused on the Lord.
He is your light and yoursalvation.
(08:59):
Well, thank you so much forbeing with us today.
We look forward to having younext time.
Until then, be blessed everyone.
Take care.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.