March 22, 2017
WHY ARE YOU AFRAID?
Psalm 56
Brett Bruster
Central Truth
We are frail people living in a fallen world. Our fears and brokenness cause us to put our trust in all kinds of false gods. But if we want real peace, we must put our trust in the Truth. Only Christ is worthy of our trust.
Key Verse | Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
(Psalm 56:3)
Psalm 56
In God I Trust
To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam 1 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
1
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2
my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
5
All day long they injure my cause;
2
56:5
Or they twist my words
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6
They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
7
For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
8
You have kept count of my tossings;
3
56:8
Or wanderings
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
9
Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that
4
56:9
Or because
God is for me.
10
In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise,
11
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12
I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
13
For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 56
Psalm 56 is one of many that speak of trust in God. Verse 3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Notice that David writes, “When I am afraid,” rather than, “If I am afraid.” This assumes we will be afraid. And, according to David, God is well aware that this world brings us both grief and fear. Verse 8 says, “You [God] have kept count of my tossings.”
So the question is, if God knows about my fears and troubles, why does He allow me to go through them? Based on my own experience, I think it is because my anxieties and fears show me where I am really putting my trust. It’s as if my anxieties are highlighting the idols in my life. When I worry about my finances, it is an indication that I am relying on money for my security. When I worry about what someone else thinks of me, it is an indication that I am relying on the opinions of others for my security. And when I become anxious over a doctor’s appointment, it is a sign that I am relying on my physical health for my security. And all these fears and anxieties can drive me into an increasingly desperate search for peace.
But by the grace of God, I have finally begun to realize that when I am afraid, rather than running from the fear, I should do the opposite and lean into it. I slow down to listen for the Spirit to reveal to me the truth about my fears. My fears show me where I am placing my trust in things over and above Christ.
My lifelong struggle with anxiety has taught me that I need to turn to Christ faster. Rather than waiting for fear to overwhelm me, I look to the wisdom of God’s Spirit spoken through His prophet David and remember that, when I am afraid, I put my trust in God. I am reminded that He is for me (verse 9). Therefore, I shall not be afraid.
Discussion Questions
1. What are some of the things that you repeatedly find yourself worrying about?
2. What do these worries indicate about where you are looking to find security?
3. What does David mean when he writes in verse 9, “This I know, that God is for me”?
4. Jesus once asked His disciples, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (Mark 4:40) So what about you? Why are you afraid?