Lyrics
Verse 1
The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life, O whom shall I fear?
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked rise against me to devour me
It's my enemies and foes who stumble and fall
Though an army rise against me, I will not fear
Though a war arise against me, even then I'll be confident
Though a war arise against me, even then I'll be confident
Verse 2
One thing I ask from the Lord, and seek
To dwell in His house all my days
To gaze upon His beauty and to inquire in His temple
For in the day of trouble, He will keep me safe
In His tent He will hide me in His secret place
Then He'll set me high upon a rock
Then my head will be lifted high above my foes
Then at His tent I will sacrifice
With shouts of joy in worship
Then I will sing and make melody
To Your name, O Lord, for Your victory
Verse 3
Hear my voice when I call, O Lord
Be gracious to me, answer me
I hear Your heart saying to my heart, "O, seek My face"
Your face, O Lord, I'll seek
Don't hide Your face from me, my help
Don't turn me away in anger
Don't reject me nor forsake me
You're the God who rescued me
You're the God who rescues me
You're the God of my salvation
Though my father and my mother forsake me
The Lord will take me in
Verse 4
Teach me Your paths, and lead me in the narrow way
For the sake of my enemies who trouble me
Do not give me over to their desires, for they slander me with violent words
I would have lost all hope unless
I had believed that I would see
The goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, in the land of the living
I would have lost hope
Unless I'd believed that I'd see
The goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living
In the land of the living
Outro
Wait for the Lord, wait for the Lord
Be strong, take heart
And wait for the Lord
Wait for the Lord
Wait for Him
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Psalm 27 (Whom Shall I Fear?)" sets a biblical psalm to music largely unchanged, opening with its well-known declaration that the Lord is light, salvation, and stronghold, making fear an irrelevant question rather than a real threat. That opening confidence carries through descriptions of armies and wars rising up, each met with the same refusal to fear.
Its middle section shifts from confidence to desire, naming a single request, to dwell in God's house and gaze upon his beauty, before describing protection pictured as hiding in a tent during trouble. A later section turns to direct petition, asking God not to hide his face or turn away in anger, admitting that even parental abandonment could not compare to the security found in God's acceptance.
Rooted in contemporary psalm-setting worship tradition, the song functions as a sung meditation on confident trust amid real danger, its closing repeated instruction, to "wait for the Lord" and be strong, summarizing the psalm's movement from immediate fear to settled hope in God's eventual goodness.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 27:1 Declares the Lord as light and salvation, directly quoted in the song's opening line.
- Psalm 27:10 Describes God receiving someone even if father and mother forsake them, directly echoed in the song's lyrics.