Learning to Trust God in the Psalmsనమూనా

Psalm 56: When I Am Afraid

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”

Psalm 56:3–4 (NIV84)

Being afraid is a common experience for every human being. It is as much of this world as the air we breathe. Most moments of being afraid are short-lived and occur on the surface of our lives. We are afraid we will be late for work. We hear a noise, and we are frightened. We fearfully imagine moments that may never occur. At other times, being afraid turns into a fear that rules our soul and responses. That is a different level of being afraid. The Psalmist, David, experienced one of those more terrifying moments of being afraid. His life was in danger, and he fled the city where he was living. On many occasions, he became afraid. To make matters worse, his situation grew more uncertain. Have you ever been in a tough spot, only to find your situation worsening? This was David’s reality. Yet, while danger was present, so was the Lord. In the journey, the Lord taught him how to navigate moments when he was afraid.

David processed his fear in the presence of God in the middle of his mess. He knew he could not wish his fear away or simply say he would no longer be afraid. Overcoming his fear was not within his capacity to do so. But he knew it was within God’s capacity to do so in him. He allowed those moments to trigger him into spiritual practices that would conquer the rising fear. When he began to become afraid, he acknowledged his fear, then, as an act of his will and faith, he turned to the Lord in worship and prayer. In this process, his fear was conquered by the presence of God. In those faith-filled moments of praise and prayer, the presence of the Lord began to break upon his fear like the first rays of sunlight bursting over the hilltops in the distance. The Light began to chase the darkness away. A holy and beautiful internal soul transformation began to occur. The Holy Presence of God cleansed the Psalmist from that which was unsettling and destructive. While in the mess, he learned to thrive.

A theologian named Tholuck wrote that David “thinks of songs of praise while he still sings lamentations and vows of thanksgiving while praying.” This is the art of overcoming human fear. This is the choice we must make when we are afraid. We must choose to sing, read, and meditate upon the sovereignty of God in the face of fear. The sooner we do this, the better! The weapons at our disposal to combat fear are the spiritual activities that draw us close to our Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer (Psalm 18). The sovereign presence of God is the antidote to remedy unchecked fear.

The Apostle Paul knew the power of this principle. He wrote in Philippians:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:3–7 (NIV84)

When we are afraid and allow our fears to fester and grow, our minds and hearts are the first victims. The second victim is our faith in God's sovereignty. Driven by fear, our minds consider a thousand outcomes. Our heart, the place where we feel and believe, wanders aimlessly and leaves us insecure and uncertain. Our faith falters, and we struggle to trust the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Maker of the Heavens and Earth.

David’s journey would have ended very differently had he not learned how to short-circuit moments of being afraid. He was very aware that in those moments of fear, he could have stumbled in his decision-making, and the result would have been disastrous. He wrote in verse 13, “For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling…” At some point, God intervened in his journey and guided him out of the danger that was causing him to be afraid.

Friend, when you are afraid, choose to trust in God. Strengthen your trust in God by consistently engaging in spiritual practices that connect you with His Word and presence. Call for His help (verse nine). As you do, thank Him (verse 12) for His faithfulness and ability to guide and deliver you. Never forget the safest place to be when you are afraid is in the presence of your Almighty God.