Daily Devotional

When I read this verse today during my morning devotion time, I was struck by what seems like two contradictory ideas: “wait” and “be brave.” We don’t often connect bravery with waiting. The brave character in the story is the one who goes, the one who moves, the one who against all odds (and sometimes all reason) will rush at the enemy line. Spider-man is brave when he swings into action, Batman is brave when he runs towards the bad guys; THAT’S what it means to be brave…or so we think. Yet here, David gives us an alternate view of being brave; waiting.

The truth is, sometimes we move out of fear, not bravery. Sometimes fear is based on common sense. If a wild storm is approaching, we naturally would move out of the way. This movement would both be out of fear and common sense, but is doing so brave or just reasonable? No one should fault you for moving away from a physical storm, but what about the storms of life? When the storms of life come, is our tendency to run away from these storms as well?
 
The Bible speaks elsewhere about our need for perseverance. Perseverance is not a passive word but can be defined as “the quality that enables one to stand on his feet facing the storm.” When the storms of life come, we are not called to flee but to wait. Sometimes being patient is the bravest thing we can do.

Throughout Psalm 27 David sounds like a very brave person: “why should I be afraid?” (v.1), “why should I tremble?” (v.1), “my heart will not be afraid” (v.3), “I will remain confident” (v.3), “I will hold my head high” (v.6). The source of his bravery was not based on himself, but rather on who He knew God to be.
 
In verse 5 he says, “For [God] will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.” David knew that it was because of God and God alone that he could have such confidence. Waiting on the Lord is truly a very brave thing. In light of who God is and the confidence that we can safely place in Him, David was able to close this Psalm by calling us all to “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.”

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.