What does Psalm 27:13 mean?
This psalm began with David expressing deep confidence in God. Later, however, David also opened his heart by pleading with God for rescue—the very thing he was so sure of. This is a normal part of human experience: what we know, in our minds, often has a difficult time resonating in our fears and emotions. Faith, in Scripture, is trust based on what we know of God, in the face of uncertainty (Hebrews 11:1). In the midst of danger, therefore, David took his worries to God, and trusted that the Lord would be victorious.The conclusion of David's prayer is a celebration of the Lord's goodness. In addition to seeing rescue first-hand, David later was given promises from God to have rest and a lasting heritage (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 7:11), therefore David anticipated a bright future.
God's promises to believers are described in 2 Peter 1:4 as "precious and very great." Hebrews 10:23 admonishes: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." The Lord will never break even one promise; therefore, like David, we can rely on God to keep His promises no matter how bleak our circumstances may be. Also, like David, we can anticipate a bright future, because Jesus promised to return and take us home to be with Him (John 14:1–3).
Psalm 27:7–14 reveals that David, while he commits his faith to God, is not immune from fear. In the prior section of this psalm, David stated his reasons to be confident in the Lord. Here, however, David seems to be pleading for those exact protections. Like anyone else, David experienced anxiety. Rather than succumbing to fear, however, David chose to trust God, remind himself of God's protection, and come to the Lord in prayer. This is concluded with another expression of trust in God.
David lays out the reasons he should be confident in God's protection. David then transitions, almost abruptly, into heartfelt pleas for God to rescue him from his enemies. The impression is that David is experiencing natural human anxiety and responding by reminding himself of God's goodness. The psalm ends with the same assurance expressed when it began.
