When I Am Afraid
Psalm 56
Pastor Chuck Henderson
- In his 1988 textbook on Counseling, Gary Collins wrote, “Anxiety has been called ‘the official emotion of our age,’ the basis of all neuroses, and the ‘most pervasive psychological phenomenon of our time.’” That was almost 30 years ago.
- Recently, Jonathan Haidt wrote a NY Times bestseller entitled, “The Anxious Generation,” and here’s the subtitle: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness.
- Haidt is no Christian, but using an array of studies, he makes a compelling argument that our generation of 30 and younger people are struggling more than ever with anxiety and fear that is due in no small part to the astonishing dependency and use of the “smart” phone
- On my part, in my pastoral counseling, I would absolutely agree with the analysis regarding the younger generation and the epidemic of emotional challenges
- But I would also suggest that I see more and more older folks who struggle with fear and anxiety due to their constant exposure to 24/7 news cycles that bombard them with negative images of our culture and world
- Even take this past week as we watched the killing of Charlie Kirk; how many of us were shaken and filled with questions about our country and where this is going?
- Now, if you will allow me a little moment of pulpit counseling:
- Fear is not inherently bad; fear alerts us to danger and to the need to take appropriate action
- If you see a car in the wrong lane heading towards you, it is perfectly appropriate to feel your heart race, hands to sweat and to swerve away
- Fear is not inherently bad; fear alerts us to danger and to the need to take appropriate action
- In fact, there are 3 main categories for our fears:
- A specific threat (real or imagined)
- Snakes (real & Biblical!) and claustrophobia (imagined)
- An unknown outcome – children, job, culture; this is more appropriately termed anxiety
- My anxiety over the NEXT initiative, finances… sleep…
- A general, underlying anxiety (angst)
- Can be truly physical – hormonal, mental wiring; just plain weariness
- Can be a personality trait – learned or familial
- Can be a manifestation of suppressed fears, guilt, unresolved/unasked questions
- A specific threat (real or imagined)
- In a 35-minute sermon, there’s no way I can address such a complex emotion, so please don’t expect to walk away today with all your anxiety relieved and questions answered – that expectation on your part will cause me to have great anxiety!
- As Pastor Sam has been teaching through 1 Samuel, we have some corresponding psalms to David’s exact circumstances and fears
- Pss. 52 & 53 deal with the anxiety of being wrongfully persecuted by Doeg who killed all the priests
- Pss. 54 & 55 deal with the anxiety of having been betrayed by someone who said he was David’s friend
- Pss. 56-59 deal with the constant fear and anxiety that came through Saul’s relentless pursuit of David and his men
- So, while I can’t deal with the whole challenge of fear and anxiety in our lives, perhaps the Lord will use me to introduce some biblical truths into the hearts and minds of those who, this morning, are struggling with these enemies of peace, which after all, is what we all long for, isn’t it? – true, authentic peace of mind and soul that transcends and transforms us in the midst of our challenging lives
Out of all the above psalms, I’ve chosen to focus on Ps. 56…
- When your enemies are overwhelming… 1-4
- David’s enemies are fearless
- In their actions – they trample… oppress… attack
- In their attitude – proudly…
- Biblically, pride is always associated with a rebellion against authority; so here, they are rebelling…
- Against David since he is the anointed future king
- Against God, because it is He who has chosen David
- Therefore, the fearlessness of the enemies towards David is based in their lack of fear of God and His judgement
- Biblically, pride is always associated with a rebellion against authority; so here, they are rebelling…
- David’s stand is courageous (read v. 4 again)
- He completely trusts God’s person
- He completely trusts God’s word
- This connection between trusting in God’s person and His word is so important, it is repeated in vv. 10-11
- This demonstrates a timeless teaching that in order to trust God’s person more, we need to read His Word more, and the more we trust God’s Word, the more we will trust God’s person
- This is a wonderful, self-enriching cycle that needs to be nurtured in every way possible
- David’s enemies are fearless
I want to be very practical today, and begin by suggesting some practices in combatting the anxiety and fear that comes from personal opposition:
- While it’s true that you’re being hurt, your enemies’ attitude and actions are deeply rooted in spiritual rebellion. At its roots, this conflict is a spiritual battle. And it’s because there is no fear of God in their hearts, we must learn to….
- Fight the battle by going to your good & sovereign God in prayer.
- This may seem contradictory since we’re asking God to fight a battle when they don’t even fear God. But the hard truth is, that only God can bring heart change; only the Spirit can bring life.
- Spiritual battles must be fought in the power of the Spirit, and when we do not begin here, the only result will be fear and anxiety because left to ourselves, we cannot win
- Fight the battle by learning to trust God’s word (promises & person).
- We must practice the timeless teaching – learn God by learning His Word, for as you learn His word, His promises, you build faith in Him so you too will proclaim, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.”
- This is greatly heightened as we…
- Fight the battle by singing good songs.
- Eph. 5:18-20 calls us to “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…”
- Why do you think Luther wrote, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”? Because truth, when put to music, is a powerful weapon against the enemy.
When your enemies are overwhelming, fight the battle on spiritual ground by turning to your good & sovereign, ruling God by learning His Word and singing His songs. And do this continually because…
- When your enemies are relentless… 5-7
- Because their spiritual master is relentless, David’s enemies are too – all day long… they stir up… they lurk… they have waited…
- Whether these enemies are outside of us, or the relentless thoughts and fears that rage within us, they never seem to stop; BUT(!)…
- Because our God is eternally supreme, He WILL judge; and so David cries out: cast down…
- From our study in 1 Samuel, we know David fights battles; we know there is a time to fight
- But the psalms teach us that there were also personal relationships that were just awful for David, deep hatred and betrayal, and David’s answer is to fight these battles through prayer; he turns these people over to God and His judgment
- Richard Foster: “The Prayer of Relinquishment is a bona fide letting go, but it is a release with hope. We have no fatalistic resignation. We are buoyed up by a confident trust in the character of God.”
- God’s very character is holy and just; we can, and actually must, learn to release our enemies into His capable hands
In practice: Anxiety over enemies must first be fought in one’s heartfelt release of them to God. Only then can we crucify the desire to take our own vengeance (which in itself is a cause for anxiety!).
- When your emotions run deep… 8-11
- David’s emotions are manifest – tossings… tears…
- David’s faith is also manifest in the midst of his emotions…
- He returns to his foundational belief – this I know… Therefore, by an act of his will, he proclaims: I shall not be afraid…. And because of this –
- His fears are courageously defeated – for the 2nd time, he affirms: What can man do to me? Some principles:
- One can’t have courage without having to face fear. Fear is not sin.
- One can even experience the deepest of emotions. In and of themselves, emotions are not sin. But…
- Both fear and emotions must be ruled by faith. Biblical faith is true, authentic biblical courage.
- This is why Paul encourages his young disciple Timothy in his 2nd letter, saying, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
- I encourage you to read the gospels and note that when Jesus calls His disciples to, “Fear not,” it is always accompanied by the call to have faith in Him
- And let us be clear about this call to biblical faith…
- Biblical faith must fully engage one’s heart AND mind.
Listen to Paul’s confidence at the end of the great 8th chapter of Romans 8:36-39
When your emotions run deep, cultivate a faith that runs deeper still. Learn to end your psalm to the Lord in the same way as David… (read)
- When God gives you deliverance… 12-13
- Notice David’s responses:
- He committed to fulfilling his vows – unsure what those were, but whatever he had promised God, he was bound to follow through
- He committed to offering thank offerings – knowing that God was the One who gave the victory, David will make it publicly known
- He committed to a life of obedience to the One who had given the victory – walk… light…
- When you face the sources of your fears and anxieties, prayer and relinquishment are absolutely necessary. But unless they are accompanied by obedience in our actions of love and the fruits of the Spirit in self-control and speech, we will never completely know the victory
- Notice David’s responses:
- We normally end our services with a song of commitment; why? Because to be moved by a message and even to spend time in prayer, as foundational as they are, they must be followed through in obedience to what God is asking of us
- So, what is God asking of you today? What action is He convicting you to take? What is He pulling back on the veil of your heart and exposing? What is He asking you to release to Him by faith?
- Because here’s the beauty: When you release them to God, that’s when He will hold you fast.
To that end, I invite you to stand and sing with me a great and true song: He Will Hold Me Fast
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