The gift of inner strength

Laura Digan January 25, 2026 2 0

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Psalm 27: 1, 4-9 (NIVUK)

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?

4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Saviour.

Have you ever heard the advice ‘fake it till you make it’? That you can fake confidence, you can fake strength, until you feel it for real. I know in the past I have tried to take on this advice but it has never worked for real. I’ve always ended up feeling empty and exhausted!

Psalm 27 offers a powerful counterpoint to this familiar phrase. The psalmist does not project a confidence of strength he does not have to convince others, or even himself. Instead, he names fear honestly and brings it into the presence of God. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?’ The inner strength displayed is not fake, it is not a performance, it is trust. 

Our society rewards self-promotion and the illusion of control, but Psalm 27 invites us to step out of the exhausting work of pretending. The only thing the psalmist asks us to do is to dwell in God’s presence. In the shelter of God’s presence we are not required to appear strong; we are made strong. 

Instead of faking courage until it feels real, we are invited to wait, seek and remain. God does not demand polished confidence, but open hearts. From that honesty a deeper courage grows — quiet, resilient and rooted in God’s presence rather than our own fragile bravado. 

Prayer:

God of light and refuge,

Draw us into Your shelter when we feel weak or afraid.

Free us from the need to pretend or prove our worth.

Fill us with the quiet strength that comes from trusting you

Amen