What Are You Afraid Of?
Read Psalms 54:1–56:13
1. O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long.
2. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me.
3. But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
4. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?
5. They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me.
6. They come together to spy on me—watching my every step, eager to kill me.
7. Don’t let them get away with their wickedness; in your anger, O God, bring them down.
8. You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
9. My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! Psalm 56:1-9
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Everyone is afraid of something:
-Gangs
-Disease
-The Future
-A Spouse
-The Government
-Failure
-Speaking in public
Have you ever been stopped at a traffic light and seen one of those bumper stickers that reads “NO FEAR”? But the fact that the driver isn’t running the red light reveals the truth.
Psalm 56 deals with fear. Although the author, David, was a mighty warrior, he was not immune to this emotion—especially when his enemies were out to get him. Fortunately, David found a cure for his fear and recorded it in this psalm.
Other psalms in this reading contain invaluable truths about God as well as important lessons on prayer.
What could be more frightening than being surrounded by an enemy who is pressing in from all sides (Psalm 56:1-6)? David faced exactly that situation many times. As a man who had great trust in God, this is what he learned about dealing with fear: (1) remember that God is with you; (2) trust God for protection; (3) praise God for fulfilling his promises; and (4) use the resources that God has given you.
Our fear often comes from our overestimating our attackers and underestimating our own resources in God and the church. Whenever you are faced with persecution, insecurity, or poor odds, take the fear-fighting steps that David took and overcome your fear.
