As I was reading Psalm 27, I began thinking about battles. No one that I know likes the subject of war, but war has certainly taken place in the history of America. We have walked through several of them: a revolutionary war, a civil war, two world wars and the Vietnam war. Our men and women have fought and sacrificed for our freedoms.

Psalm 27 is spattered with verses containing references to a battle. David says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he 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. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.”

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four men in the act of leaving with her vehicle. She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at them at the top of her voice, "I have a gun and I know how to use it!

Get out of my car, you scumbags!" The four men didn't wait for a second invitation, but got out and ran like mad. The lady, somewhat shaken, loaded her shopping bags into the back of the car and get into the driver's seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. She tried and tried and then it dawned on her why. A few minutes later she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down.

She loaded her bags into her car and drove to the nearest police station. The sergeant to whom she told the story was laughing so hard he was crying and pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car-jacking by a crazy elderly woman described as white, less than 5' tall, glasses and curly white hair, carrying a very large handgun.

No charges were filed.

A crazy old lady with a handgun—that’ll scare the bejeebers out of you! That’s not a battle I want to fight.

It appears that David in Psalm 27 is in an intense battle. Yet, in the midst of the battle and all of the fighting, David has hope. Hope is a very powerful thing for us to have.

G.K. Chesterton said, “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.” Emily Dickinson, in one of her poems said, “Hope is a thing with feathers, / That perches in the soul.” O. S. Marden said, “There is no medicine like hope . . .” Pliny the Elder wrote, “Hope is the dream of a waking man.” Martin Luther said, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”

Hope defined is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” The definition given by Webster is lacking. It suggests that hope is a wishful desire for something that may or may not take place.

The Bible teaches us about hope in a different way. God’s Word says hope is a deep settled confidence that God will keep all of His promises. David was experiencing this hope as he was fighting his battles. Are you resting in the sure confidence that God will do just as He promised? Are you in a battle and you need hope?

2 Chronicles 20:15-17 says, “He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.16 Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”

He is with you and He will fight your battles for you! Does that give you hope today as you read?

Hope is knowing that Jesus has conquered everything. Hope is something I am learning people all around me need in their lives. Hope is definitely what I need.

If you know the Savior, can I encourage you today? Don’t be afraid; the battle is not yours but the Lord’s. What battle do you need to give to God and let Him fight?

Just like God fought a battle for Judah, God has fought a battle for all of mankind—and it is the most important battle that has ever been fought. Jesus came to this earth, and in His life, death and resurrection, He defeated the enemies that have held us captive and threaten us daily: sin and death, Satan and selfishness. I am so glad that I don’t have to try to save myself—the battle is not mine but the Lord is fighting for me.

Ephesians 6:10–12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

We are in a spiritual battle every day. But if you know God, He is fighting for you. He has defeated our enemies in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. And now in Christ, we are more than conquerors. So what battle are you facing today? Don’t be afraid; God is fighting for you! David knew this when he wrote Psalm 27, do you know this truth today? Let Him fight for you as you gain the hope to remain faithful to Him.

Your strength is found At the end of my road Your grace it reaches to the hurting Still through the tears and the questioning why I will stand my ground where hope can be found I will stand my ground where hope can be found

( O’ Lord – Lauren Daigle)