“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? . . . You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me” (Psalm 56:3-4, 8-9).
This Psalm has many facets to it that will speak to the human heart. In this Psalm, we find enemies chasing, cries for God’s help, activated fears, and trusting God. Like in David’s life, sometimes there is much going on in our lives. In our own lives, things can become very chaotic During such times, all we can do to keep our feet on the ground and our faith in Jesus Christ is to trust in the sufficiency of Christ.
Our world can leave many of us in a state of emotional chaos, as we learn more than we could ever could hope to about people’s life circumstances. I am one whose soul can be described in such a way. Honestly, it doesn’t take much to get me there. Scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed or viewing a news article can easily send my soul into panic mode and information overload. Some days I can hide this characteristic fairly well, while on other days its effects are written all over my face. This is not the end of my story. It is only the beginning, because of the magnificent God we know, love, and serve.
Because God is the Author of our lives, we can trade in our fears for confidence in God’s ability. This doesn’t mean our circumstances have changed, but it does mean we are choosing to trust God despite them.
We can spend our whole lives fearing one thing or another, rarely allowing anyone else to know about it. This is a heavy load to carry but makes trusting our Lord – much more valuable. We can know and walk with our great God and see the work of His hands for our ultimate good. While our various circumstances are out of our control, this passage reminds us of God’s ability to control all things.
Trusting our great God is the most important thing we could ever do, as Christians. In Scripture, we are reminded to trust God rather than allowing our fears to direct the course of our lives. The benefits of trusting our Lord outweigh that of fearing circumstances. While trusting God changes everything, there is no benefit to fearing situations in our lives.
When we place our confidence in our sovereign Lord, we are putting our faith into action. We are choosing to deliberate face our fears, and trust God because of what we know about Him. As we read our Bible’s, we learn that He is greater than our anxiety and fear. May we cling to these and to the promises of God in Scripture; rather live our livesbased on emotions. Some situations may honestly be scary. Trusting God is still the better option. Trusting God is where we place our lives inHis hands knowing He protects and guides us into His will. While we may not be able to fix our own situations, God will perform His work in our lives as we spend time on our knees pouring out the rumblings of our bursting hearts in praying to Him. Jesus Christ is the only One who holds all things together (Col. 1:17).
Fear will always be tapping on the door of our hearts, but Jesus Christ is greater than our fear. Jesus Christ is the One who is described as “mighty to save.” He is waiting for us to come and receive His help. He is ready to fight on our behalf. He records every tear we cry and listens to our groans. He also shows His heart for us, as His much-beloved people. Our fears are real and need to be faced with God’s help. As we consider our fears, we need to know God to be greater than our circumstances. Friends, let’s not only know this truth but run to Him with our every fear – seeking His comfort, healing, and His Presence. As we do, let’s celebrate the victory He will give to us, as His people.
Follower of Jesus Christ. Fresno Pacific University Grad (BA’s in Christian Ministry & Early Childhood Development). Author of “Grace Leads” and other writing projects. While life’s adversity has made its appearance in her life, through developmental delays and now chronic illness, she writes thoughtful pieces to give readers a deeper understanding of God’s Word. Gracefully Overcoming is where you can find out more about her writing ministry.
