Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word). In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)
Several years ago, my family and I found ourselves in a very frightening situation. It was so frightening, in fact, that when I went to pray no words would come out of my mouth. The only thing I could do at that moment was to sing, and in fact, the only thing I could think of to sing was a psalm of David — “The Lord is my Shepherd.” This type of reaction seems to have been the standard for David; when he was fearful, he would compose a psalm to sing praises unto the Lord. Obviously, it brought him peace.
I’ve never had to flee for my life day after day, nor have I faced down a giant of a man who was motivated to kill me. I have, however, like most all of us, had to face intimidating situations and, in some cases, even dangerous circumstances. But David’s example teaches us that, in those moments when fear tries to overwhelm us, singing praises to our King not only brings calm and peace but also exalts Him above our fears. Honoring Him through praise and acknowledging that His Word and Will is sovereign over all, compels our fear of man and circumstances to take a back seat to the realization of His greatness. In that moment we come to realize that we can and must trust Him. Unless He allows it, there is nothing anyone can do to us, and so then, “what can flesh do to me?” That brings us to these final thoughts expressed in the words of Messiah:
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:28-31).
No doubt there will be times when fear tries to grip our heart; but when your heart is overwhelmed, remember that He is greater than all of our situations. He is our refuge and in Him we can have confidence that His Will for us shall be accomplished.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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