Thursday Psalms: Whom Shall I Fear?

 

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Of what or whom are you afraid?  Perhaps nothing frightens you now, but certainly you have been fearful before today, and will be so again.  In this portion of Psalm 27, David gives a great example of what we should do when we face troubles, attacks or enemies of any kind.  In the first six verses we hear David's confidence in the Lord, and then David prays for help, forgiveness and guidance.

Psalm 27:1-9

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

  The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

² When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh,

      my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.

³ Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;

      though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

⁴ One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:

      that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

            to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.

⁵ For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble;

      He will conceal me under the cover of His tent;

            He will lift me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me,

      and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;

            I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

⁷ Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;

      be gracious to me and answer me!

⁸ You have said, “Seek my face.”

      My heart says to You, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

⁹ Hide not Your face from me.

      Turn not Your servant away in anger, O You who have been my help.

  Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! 

Notice in verse 2-3, David's response matters not whether he is attacked by one person, an army of enemies or if a war breaks out!  God is with you, in all situations!  Great lesson for you and me!  You and I fall under attack by many foes; people, sickness, worry, guilt, and so forth.  God's people are very blessed; God invites us to boldly take our needs and requests to Him.  This is not some mystical formula which automatically makes things all better.  No, God is no vending machine.  But God tells us in Psalm 46:1 that He is our refuge and strength, our very real & present help in times of trouble.  

Are we both afraid and unafraid at the same time?  Yes.  Are we both worried & confident?  Yes, for sure.  Do we hope and feel desperate?  Absolutely.  This is the tension of our daily lives, lived in faith while under attack.  Thanks be to God, He loves us so much that He has saved us and He will never forsake us!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday September 13, 2026

  

“The Unmerciful Servant”  Eugène Burnand   1850-1921  

 Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 13, 2026

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Our Summer Sunday schedule has started with our Worship service beginning at 9:30 am.  Afterwards, around 10:30 or so, please join us and enjoy food and conversations together.

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

  Old Testament:  Genesis 50:15–21

               Psalm:  Psalm 103:1–12

              Epistle:  Romans 14:1–12

              Gospel:  Matthew 18:21–35

THEME FOR WORSHIP 

“For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”  These words of our Lord from Matthew 16:23 challenge us again this week, as today’s Gospel text invites us to focus on forgiveness.  Peter asks the kind of question asked by those who keep score of things.  “How often must I forgive my brother who sins against me?”  Jesus’ answer isn’t about keeping score, but about generously forgiving.  How often are you and I quick to seek forgiveness, but slow to share it?

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website           Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: Far and Wide!

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Bless the Lord, O my soul!    So David begins today's Psalm, not because the Lord has blessed him with health, wealth and significance.  No, it's because the Lord forgives, heals, and redeems him and us.  The Lord crowns us with His steadfast love and mercy!

Psalm 103:1-12

¹ Bless the Lord, O my soul,

      and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

² Bless the Lord, O my soul,

      and forget not all His benefits,

³ who forgives all your iniquity,

      who heals all your diseases,

⁴ who redeems your life from the pit,

      who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

⁵ who satisfies you with good

      so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The Lord works righteousness

      and justice for all who are oppressed.

⁷ He made known His ways to Moses,

      His acts to the people of Israel.

⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious,

      slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

⁹ He will not always chide,

      nor will He keep His anger forever.

¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins,

      nor repay us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

      so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear him;

¹² as far as the east is from the west,

      so far does He remove our transgressions from us. 

Notice how personal David makes God's promises in verse 8-10.  Read these words & phrases slowly, pausing and praying over each one.  The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  This is your life as a beloved child of God!  The Lord will not always chide [scold or rebuke], nor will He keep His anger forever.  God took out His anger for your sins on Jesus, punishing Jesus in your place!  And, thank God, that He does not deal with us like we deserve!

If you're like me, you hold onto things, often foolishly.  A walk through my garage or basement would prove this.  Unfortunately, we often hold onto our sins and the guilt they produce.  Who could love me, if they really knew my sins?  Verses 11 & 12 proclaim really good news to you and me!  God's love for you is so great and steadfast, it is FAR greater than ANY of your sins or failures!   Remember Romans 5:8?  "...but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  When Jesus died on Calvary's cross, He took your punishment and removed your sins from you, as far as the east is from the west!  That is the BEST NEWS you will ever hear!

Don't hold onto your sins; God certainly does not!!!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9