“WHOM SHALL I FEAR?”

Paul would later say it like this, in a similar rhetorical form: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). But David’s poetry holds up well.

He described God as his light, salvation, and stronghold, using each of these aspects of God’s provision and care as a basis for living without fear.

Light is a recurring image in the Bible. From Creation to the New Jerusalem, God is the source of light. It is one of the Bible’s most powerful metaphors, with the light from God illuminating our world and the world made new. Jesus described Himself—and also those who would follow Him—as the light of the world, pushing back the darkness surrounding them (see John 8:12; Matthew 5:14). God’s presence and power are portrayed both in large cosmic terms and as a light that allows us to take the next step in our ordinary lives.

Salvation tends to be a term weighted with theological significance, but for David and many other Bible characters, salvation was first more practical and immediate.

God was his rescuer, and he had seen this in his life on various occasions. Of course, eternal salvation was most important—God would finally save him—but God was also saving him in the present, and David had equal confidence in this.

A stronghold was also part of David’s experience.

As a fugitive, whether it was a cave, a household, or a neighboring kingdom that took him in, a stronghold was a place of sanctuary and safety.

This was something David had also found in God through his varied life experiences. Wherever he went and in whatever circumstances, he knew that God was with him—and that was a safe place to be. So, in the care of God, who is all of those things, what could make him afraid?