Nothing To Fear

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”

Psalms 56:3 NLT

Fear is one the most effective and subtle weapons of the enemy.  A. B. Simpson wrote, “Fear is born of Satan, and if we would only take time to think a moment we would see that everything Satan says is founded upon a falsehood. Every fear is distrust, and trust is the remedy for fear.”

David testified of his trust in God’s care and compassion.  The psalmist said, “When I get really afraid I come to You in trust. I’m proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God.” (Psalm 56:4 MSG). Moses reminded Israel of God’s powerful presence, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Duet 31:6). His presence allowed the nation to be fearless . . . to proclaim “No Fear”.

In Psalm 56, Dsvid declares his trust and denounces his fears.

No Fear Of Enemies.  The reality of David’s enemies was relentless.  Their attacks were aggressive and their accusations were abounding.  The psalmist writes, “I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me.” (Ps 56:2 NLT)  David appropriated the power of trusting God and being protected from his enemies. His enemies were only human while His God was Heavenly.  He writes, “I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (Ps 56:11 NLT). The same God provides us with the same protection.

No Fear Of Emotions.  When we face the uncertainty created by fear, we often lose control over our emotions.  The psalmist confidently confessed that God cared for emotional conflicts.  He writes, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” (Ps 56:8 NLT). God sums all of our sorrows and He keeps track of all our tears.

No Fear Of Expectations.  Fear of failure and fear of the future cause us to examine our expectations.  The promises of God protect our passions and our purposes for His Kingdom.  God’s promises are true.  David wrote, “I praise God for what He has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what He has promised.” (Ps  56:10 NLT).  When we praise Him for His promises, we rest in His resourcing.  He will bring to completion what He has commited.

We share the same struggles as the psalmist.  Learning for his experimces allows us to live in his example.  Spurgeon writes, “Whether the fear arise from without or within, from past, present, or future, from temporals, or spirituals, from men or devils, let us maintain faith, and we shall soon recover courage.”.

John Bunyon sums up our strategy, “Let it rain, let it blow, let it thunder, let it lighten, a Christian must still believe. ‘At what time,” said the good man, ‘I am afraid, I will trust in thee.'”

No Fear . . . Only Faith.