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? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 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.

Fear is a strong motivator of action in life. So much so, that psychologists have named the “fight or flight” and the “panic” instincts, in part, because of fear. If you yell fire in a large crowd, many will get up a run for the door. It is possible a stampede of people will break out. Few will run toward the fire to stop it.

In our lives, over time we develop fears that drive behaviors. The fear of rejection, the fear of being alone, the fear of death, the fear of being misunderstood, etc. These fears, if left unchecked, will drive us to unhealthy and sometimes criminal behaviors.

In contrast, as followers of God, we choose first and foremost to fear God. We reverence and hold him up higher than our earthly fears. He is in control and is above all else. He is a fortress and stronghold for those who are being attacked. He is the Savior of our souls. And he is the Light that dispels the spiritual darkness in life!

So today, on Independence Day, we remember the day our nation declared independence from the oppressive rule of foreigners. And likewise, we can declare independence from the power of the Devil and sin to ruin and corrupt our lives. Sin leaves us bound and shackled. Jesus sets us free to live independent of the forces of this world and without fear.
So that we can focus on our future. What would you ask God for? The psalmist here asks to dwell in God's house and gaze upon his beauty and to worship him in his temple. What greatness we have in store for us as we follow God!