April 7th, 2025
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
Have you ever been afraid before? The obvious answer to this question for all of us is yes. Living in a world that is corrupted by sin and evil runs rampant all around us; there are many things in this life that one can worry about. Many things can feel worthy of worry, from the fear of losing a loved one to simpler fears like worrying about passing a class or getting accepted to the university of one's choosing.
As we begin this month exploring what the Psalms have to say about our emotions, we start with the emotion likely most relevant to you: fear and anxiety. Often, the emotion of fear has been stigmatized in church circles. It’s possible you may have heard in the past that being fearful is bad and that a “true” Christian is not afraid. I want to begin this devotion by putting this lie to bed: being scared is not a bad thing. It's quite a natural emotion that is good for you in its proper context. The emotion of fear is, in simple terms, your body’s inner alarm system that is supposed to help and keep you from harmful situations and dangers. Not only is the emotion of fear, not a bad thing, but it's also normal for Christians to struggle with fear and anxiety. Jesus displays a level of stress and anxiety when he wrestles with the thought of having to endure the cross (Luke 22:39-44), and the Psalms are full of godly people who wrestle with fear and anxiety. (Psalm 34, 39, 56, 61).
As mentioned in our Bible study, emotions are gauges to alert our body that something is happening. In the case of fear, it’s to alert you of danger. Yet, like all other things in life, our emotions are impacted by the reality of sin and its effects. Fear can become sinful and harmful to us, not in its expression, but in the response and motivation to fear. If our fear derives from a lack of faith in God or drives us to lose trust in God, then fear is not to our benefit.
These verses of our devotional encapsulate what our response to fear and anxiety should be. Will we get worried? Yes. Should we surrender to our worry? No! David, while fearing for his life from his enemies, models for us what we can do when we’re afraid and why in Psalm 56:3-4:
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
Often, we fear what we are uncertain of or what’s outside our control, but think for a moment: if the God of the universe, who controls all things, is on your side, what is there really to be afraid of? David recognizes this, and he reminds himself of this fact. If God is for us, who or what can be against us?
Trust in God is the remedy to our anxieties. Whenever you feel afraid of what’s outside your control, trust the one who is in control. Emphasized in this Psalm and repeated throughout the Psalms is the confidence we can have despite our fears because of God. Here are some of the truths of the Psalms about God and our anxiety as it relates to this point:
Even in our deepest fears, we can be comforted because God is with us ~ Psalm 23
God is the source of all good and life. Why be afraid? ~ Psalm 27:1
God hears our prayers and saves us from our fears ~ Psalm 34:4
God is on our side ~ Psalm 118:6
God is a protector, giver of strength, always there to help ~ Psalm 46:1-3
God’s word when in fear gives joy ~ Psalm 94:18-19
What can we learn from the Psalms about handling our anxieties? Trust your anxieties to God. He is the remedy for all our fears and a place of peace for our souls!
Challenge This Week
Memorize Psalm 56:3-4 to help remind yourself to put your trust in God when you are afraid. Also, meditate on the following song this week. Know that God is with you to carry your fears.
Listen to "I Will Exalt You ~ Brooke Ligertwood"