The Lord is My Light
The Lord is my light and my salvation
The hymn expresses the Lutheran confidence in God's protective care and the assurance of salvation grounded in divine promise rather than human merit. It reflects the Protestant emphasis on personal faith and the believer's direct access to God's protection through Christ.
History & Background
Written by Frances Ridley Havergal in 1874, this hymn is a poetic meditation on Psalm 27, expressing trust in God's protective light. It was published in her collection of hymn texts and has become a standard expression of confidence in divine care in English-speaking Protestant hymnody.
The psalmist is surrounded by enemies who seek to destroy Scripture References him. But their attacks are not brutal and open; their weapons st. 1 = w 1-3 are the poisoned arrows of slander and “false witness.” Such st. 2 = w. 4-6 weapons are no less deadly than missiles of bronze and iron st. 3 = w. 7-9 and are more convenient for secretin-house treachery. Notice st. 4 = w. 10-14 a hint that the attacks come from the psalmist’s inner circle of associates—“though my father and mother forsake me” (v. 10). In the face of such circumstances, the psalmist offers a confession of trust in God that is unexcelled in the Psalms. In stanza 1, the psalmist’s unwavering confidence in God’s protective care removes all fear. Stanza 2 testifies that the LORD (and God’s temple) is a sure strong hold for shelter and safety; stanza 3 is a prayer requesting God’s help in this time of desperation and asking that God will not abandon us to false witnesses. That prayer moves to a confession that God will surely bring deliverance, followed by a self-exhorta tion that calls us to remain firm in that confession (st. 4). Marie J. Post versified this psalm in 1980 for the Psalter Hymnal. See 164 for another setting of Psalm 27.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 651
- Lutheran Service Book — 723
- Lutheran Worship — 399
Liturgical Use
Times of persecution or other situations in which the Christian community wishes to express confidence in the Lord.
Bulletin Note
Written by Frances Ridley Havergal in 1874, this hymn embodies the Victorian evangelical confidence in God's direct care. Its steady meter and clear theology made it a staple of Protestant worship worldwide.
Preaching Connection
This hymn transforms the Law's exposure of human helplessness into a Gospel proclamation of God's unwavering light and shelter, anchoring the believer's assurance in divine promise rather than personal achievement.
Themes
Trust in God Assurance of faith Light and darkness Divine protection Confidence in adversity