When I Am Afraid
Psalms 56
December 8, 2019
Tonight we come to the 56th Psalm
And we deal directly with the issue of handling fear.
One thing we know in our world is that fear is a massive motivator.
Certainly the advertising world has picked up on this powerful motivator.
(Perhaps the only thing they use more than fear is sex, but fear runs a close second)
• As a child when my parents had no money they still paid to have heat detectors installed in every room of our home because the salesman showed them pictures of children who were burn victims.
The insurance industry thrives on fear. Everything they sell is because of the “what if” reality.
The medical industry thrives on fear. Reminding us of all that could happen to you if you don’t get routine tests or screenings or certain preventative care.
Politicians thrive on fear. Each side seeks to get elected by showing you how the other side is anti-American and out to ruin your way of life.
New stations thrive on fear as a way to boost their ratings and keep you motivated to watch.
The point being is that our world is constantly pumping before your eyes reasons for you to be afraid about something.
And so I will tell you at the outset that
I AM CONVINCED THAT FEAR IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ENEMIES
That has faced the people of God throughout history.
It is perhaps the greatest motivator for disobedience to God’s truth
That we face as a people.
And it shows up in various ways.
• It shows up in the form of anxiety and worry which the Christian is commanded not to do.
• It shows up in our greed and hoarding of wealth as a fear of not having enough in the future.
• It shows up in our lack of evangelism and mission work as a fear of persecution or rejection.
• It shows up in our failure to confront sin as a fear of losing a relationship.
• It shows up in our hatred of other people who are not like us and my threaten our way of life.
FEAR SHOWS UP EVERYWHERE
• We see fear of failure
• We see fear of change
• We see fear of death
• We see fear of persecution
• We see fear of rejection
• We see fear of suffering
We are constantly bombarded with fear,
And it is this fear that routinely leads the church into disobedience.
The Bible however only justifies one type of fear.
Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
We are also told that:
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
We are told to have a fear of the Lord,
But other fears are routinely forbidden in Scripture.
• We are specifically told not to worry about money or clothing or food.
• We are specifically told not to fear persecution or the intimidation of the enemy. (1 Peter 3:14)
• We are specifically told not to fear death or the afterlife. (John 14:1-4)
• We are specifically told not to fear men (Matthew 10:28)
• We are specifically told not to fear governments or rulers or those in authority (Luke 12:11-12)
• We are specifically told not to fear for the future (Isaiah 35:4)
• We are specifically told not to fear false gods (Jeremiah 10:5)
• We are specifically told not to fear ministry (Luke 5:10)
• We are specifically told not to fear suffering (Rev. 2:10)
Fear is NOT the calling of the believer.
My pastor from growing up, Bro. Bob Norsworthy used to say that
“Fear is the Opposite of Faith”
“When God asks us to move forward in obedience
The enemy will always counteract with fear.”
And think about it.
How many times has God asked you to obey Him in one way or another and the first thing you do is start fearing the ramifications?
• And we have this internal war about all the reasons why we can’t do what God is asking us to do, and those arguments are nearly always revelations of our various fears.
• And following that fear ends up with us not obeying God.
That is why I say that fear is one of the greatest enemies
That has faced the people of God throughout history.
Find a sin that God’s people committed in the Bible
And more times than not you will also find the fear at the root of it.
I’m NOT SAYING that every sin ever committed is the result of fear,
Certainly there are many which are simply a lust of the flesh,
But a great number of them are certainly motivated by it.
That means that learning how to deal with fear
Is very important for the believer.
A believer must learn how to overcome fear
Or else they are destined for a life of disobedience and regret.
NOW, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT
Jesus has already won the battle to free us from fear.
Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
Jesus Christ became human, fulfilled the Law,
Atoned for our sin on the cross, and rose from the dead
Certainly to reconcile us to God, BUT ALSO TO CONQUER OUR FEAR.
That means that the battle has been won.
John 8:36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
Believers are free from fear, often times they just don’t know it.
We don’t have to give in to fear.
Psalms 56 is a great testimonial song of David
That shows believers how to handle their fear.
Now you will notice that this Psalm also comes with A SETTING.
“when the Philistines seized him in Gath”
We have actually now several times looked at that event since that time period in David’s life inspired a great many of the Psalms.
But just to make sure we are on the page.
• Saul offended God and God rejected Saul as king.
• God then selected David to be the next king.
• David came into the service of Saul as a harp player and a warrior
• Saul became jealous of David and tried to kill him
• David had to flee for his life and when he did he fled to Philistia
• Remember he went to the priest Ahimelech and ate the consecrated bread
• And took Goliath’s sword and then fled to Gath (Goliath’s home town).
1 Samuel 21:10-12 “Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.”
There you have the backdrop for this Psalm.
David is afraid and he must face that fear.
Clearly this Psalm deals with fear.
(3) “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”
So we understand the heart of this song.
I would also point out to you however that
This Psalm seems to have WITHIN ITSELF A REPETITION.
The Psalm actually repeats itself,
And each time it ends with the same statement.
For example.
(1-2) – David’s Complaint
(3-4) – David’s Commitment
Culminating in verse 4 with the statement “In God, whose word I praise, In
God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?”
And then the Psalm repeats itself.
(5-7) – David’s Complaint
(8-11) – David’s Confidence
Again Culminating in verses 10-11 with the statement “In God, whose word I
praise, In the LORD, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall
not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
And then the Psalm ends in verses 12-13 with David’s Commitment.
But you see a sort of parallel structure here.
What YOU ALSO SEE in this parallel structure
Is that while the song does repeat itself, the second time through comes with MORE INFORMATION AND SEEMS TO INTENSIFY
(like any song would do)
For example:
• In verse 1 David simply says, “Be gracious to me, O God”
• Verse 7 clarifies what David wants more specifically by saying, “Because of wickedness, cast them forth In anger put down the peoples, O God!”
So Verse 7 gives intensity and explanation to verse 1.
We also see
• Verse 1 David says that “man has trampled upon me”
• Verses 5&6 explain that more fully saying, “All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life.”
It’s the same truth, only it grows clearer the second time through.
We also see
• Verse 3 David says, “I will put my trust in You”
• Verses 8-9 explain WHY David is trusting God for he says, “You have taken account of my wanderings; 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.”
It’s the same truth only more intense and rich in explanation
The second time through.
And they both then of course culminate in the confident statement that
“I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
And I give you that to sort of help you grasp the flow of the song
And to be able to see more fully what David is doing here.
And so now, let’s just sort of work our way through this Psalm
And learn about how a believer deals with fear.
#1 DAVID’S COMPLAINT
Psalms 1-2, 5-6
We begin with the cry “Be gracious to me, O God”
The word “gracious” there is CHANAN (hka – nan)
And it means “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior” Or “to have pity”.
The picture there is that David is humbled.
• David is prostrated.
• David is an inferior.
• And he would come approaching God asking for this High King to stoop down in His kindness and give David an audience.
It brings to our mind that picture of prayer in the New Testament
Regarding the WIDOW who routinely came before the unrighteous judge
Asking for him to do the same for her.
You of course remember that he for a long time was not willing to do so,
But eventually she wore him down.
GOD HOWEVER, we are told in that same story,
Is a gracious Father who most certainly will stoop down in kindness
To answer the prayer of His elect.
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
David is appealing to that God here.
He’s asking God to stoop down in kindness and answer His lowly servant.
Now, when you jump down to the SECOND HALF of the song you’ll see David’s request take on more fullness we see even better what he wants.
(7) “Because of wickedness, cast them forth In anger put down the peoples, O God!”
I will admit that this is a somewhat difficult verse to grasp.
We see that it correlates to David’s initial request for God to be gracious to him.
If that is the case then it almost sounds like David is saying:
• Be gracious to me, but angry with them.
• Or give me grace, but give them justice.
And that sounds a little peculiar.
I think the secret is found in the words here.
“cast them forth” is actually a Hebrew word that means “escape” or “deliverance”
• And that is why if you read the KJV it says, “Shall they escape by iniquity? In thine anger cast down the people, O God.”
• Whereas the NASB basically shows David asking God to “escape them” or “deliver them over to wrath”
• The KJV saw it as David asking God to not let them escape.
Another key phrase is the statement “put down the peoples”.
• It sounds to us like David is asking God to put them down in a similar way that we might put down a rabid dog.
• But the word there literally means “to prostrate”.
• It’s not so much a request to kill them as it is a request to humble them and put them on their face.
Now, perhaps it makes a little more sense what David is asking.
• He appeals to God in verse 1 as one who is lowly and humble and prostrate before God and he wants God to bend or stoop down to acknowledge him.
• But David also sees the arrogant who are not humbled or prostrate before God and David is asking God to humble them.
And now his complaint is making more sense to us.
We have here a group of arrogant people who do not fear God
Attacking the man who does and David asks God to right that ship.
Listen to me God, and humble them.
David doesn’t like the fact that
The arrogant are winning and the humble are being oppressed.
• How can it be that David is God’s anointed and yet he is the one having to flee?
• Flee from men like Saul or the Philistines no less? Men who don’t fear God.
So David’s initial complaint is that
God would address that situation which is way out of balance.
And then David begins to explain their arrogance.
(1b-2) “for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me. My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me.”
There are some words there that really jump out at you.
• “trampled”
• “all day long”
• “many fight proudly”
We have here a man who is under extreme and constant duress.
And certainly it is not that he is fighting 24-7
But the enemy has laid continual threats at David’s feet
And certainly he cannot escape them.
Even when he lays his head on his pillow at night he does so in fear of Saul or in fear of the Philistines.
• Their threats are in his head.
• Their desires have consumed him.
• They are beating him down over and over.
Years ago I had a man verbally accuse me before a group of men with accusations that were false, but awful.
• The incident only lasted about 10 minutes but it played on my mind 24/7 for
about a month.
• Until finally I had another man explain to me how watching that tape over and
over in my mind was not going to be of any value to me.
But I understand what David is saying.
Maybe you do to.
It’s not the present danger, it’s the constant threat and fear
That has a way of stealing your mind 24/7.
That is where David is.
And he explains that further in the SECOND HALF down in verses 5-6
“All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life.”
Now we get it.
• They have twisted David’s words
• They have plotted against him for evil
• They are attacking him, watching him, spying on him
• They are planning to kill him
SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY DID TO JESUS
And it is because of their scheming and planning and plotting
That David has become a paranoid mess.
Back during that time when I was falsely accused I COULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT PARANOIA. I would see two men talking over in a corner and instantly in my mind I was convinced they were talking about me.
• Everyone was a spy
• Everyone was plotting
• No one could be trusted
• (Or so I thought)
That is where David is.
• Can you see the walls falling in around him?
• He’s overrun with fear and anxiety and paranoia.
It is similar to the modern day warfare of our time.
• No longer do armies line up against one another in contrasting uniforms and
fight.
• We have now reached the age of terrorism where the enemy seeks to look
like you, dress like you, talk like you, and then attack you unaware.
The whole tactic of such warfare is why it is called “terrorism” it is meant to provoke terror.
• It is meant to cause you to be afraid of everyone and everything.
• It is meant to rob you of personal peace and simply give you fear that at any
moment something terrible could happen.
That is where David is.
And so in his complaint he has humbly asked God
To humble these godless men and not to let them
Get away with their plans and their schemes.
That is David’s complaint.
#2 DAVID’S CONFIDENCE
Psalms 56:3-4, 8-11
Here is David’s decision:
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”
Notice here that this is not an emotional response, it is a willful one.
The emotion is fear.
The will is trust.
Emotion can certainly be a good thing in the life of a believer.
• Certainly elements like love or compassion or joy are attributes that are enhanced by our emotions.
• We are even called to worship God “in Spirit and in truth”
• There is an element there where our emotions should be involved.
BUT EMOTION IS NEVER THE GUIDE.
We never follow our emotions.
And there are definite times when our will
Must override our emotion and tell it to sit down and be quiet.
This is one of those times.
David ignores his emotion in order to make a willful decision.
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”
Also important to us is the basis behind this statement.
Down in verse 8 David begins to explain the basis for his trust in God.
(8-9) “You have taken account of my wanderings; 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.”
And if you want to sum up what David says there
It is that God is both intimately acquainted with David
And fiercely loyal to him.
David knows that God is intimately acquainted.
• “You have taken account of my wanderings” – You know exactly where I am and why I am here.
• “You have…Put my tears in our bottle. Are they not in Your book?” – That shows a God who cares deeply about David.
We have that same promise.
Matthew 10:28-31 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”
We see here a man who is confident in God
Because God is so interested in him.
Have we not read what David said in the famous 139th Psalm?
Psalms 139:1-6 “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.”
David can trust God because he knows that God is interested in him.
What a valuable truth to have in our corner
That the God we cry out to knows us intimately!
The God you trust in knows the number of hairs on your head
(granted for some that’s not that impressive) but you get the point!
He cares for you!
That truth prompted Peter to write to the suffering church:
1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
THAT IS WHAT DAVID IS DOING.
And David also understands that not only is God intimately acquainted with him but God is also fiercely loyal to him.
• “This I know, that God is for me.”
Did God not hand pick David to be king?
Did God not anoint David as such?
And do we not have that promise?
Romans 8:28-31 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”
We have a God that is fiercely loyal to us as well.
And so David says,
“I’m going to overlook my fear and I’m going to trust God.”
That is how a believer overcomes fear.
You drown it out with truth.
Paul said:
2 Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”
And again:
2 Timothy 4:18 “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Sort of explains how Paul overcame fear doesn’t it?
DAVID KNEW IT.
He used truth to overcome fear.
AND THAT LEADS TO THE TWICE QUOTED STATEMENT
WHICH IS CLEARLY THE POINT OF THE PSALM.
(4) “In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
(10-11) “In God, whose word I praise, In the LORD, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
This is the truth that allowed David to put aside his fear.
And please notice that David doesn’t just say that he is praising God there, but that he is praising God’s word.
• It is God’s word where we come face to face with who God is.
• It is God’s word where we come face to face with God’s loyalty to us.
• It is God’s word where we come face to face with His magnificent promises.
God’s word becomes the source of our confidence.
I heard this from R.C. Sproul,
But what tremendous insight and clarity he gives here.
Do you struggle with assurance? Do you struggle with fear?
Well who is the agent of assurance?
• Who does the Bible tell us is the source of our assurance?
• (The Holy Spirit right?)
Romans 8:15-16 “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,”
It is the Holy Spirit who is charged with
Giving you assurance and confidence.
Was it not also the Holy Spirit who wrote the Bible?
• Was it not the Holy Spirit who inspired the servants of God to pen this book for
us to read?
So do you see how assurance and reading the Bible go hand in hand?
Do you see how assurance is directly tied to the word of God?
The Holy Spirit is the One who gives assurance
And He is also the One who gave us the Bible.
If you want assurance then read His work.
If you aren’t reading the Bible then don’t complain about being overrun with fear and trembling and uncertainty.
David here praises the word of God
Because that is the source of his conviction.
And THE RESULT of that conviction is that “I shall not be afraid! What can mere man do to me?”
God’s word opened David’s eyes to what is true
Rather than to what is perceived.
Threats are scary, but at the end of the day they are only threats.
God never threatens because God is sovereign.
He doesn’t have to threaten, He does whatever He wants.
The enemy and the men he uses threaten all the time,
But that does not mean they can succeed.
“What can mere man do to me?”
• Nothing that God does not ordain.
• And if God ordains it for you then it is promised to be for your good.
What is to fear in that?
Do you see how David overcomes fear with truth?
This church is the answer.
YOU WANT TO OVERCOME FEAR?
1) DETERMINE WHAT IS TRUE
• Don’t listen to empty threats and certainly don’t dwell on them.
• Read God’s Word and see what is true.
• Read of His sovereign power
• Read of His grace toward His own
• Read of His unfailing love to His elect
• Read of His justice to the wicked
• Read of His loyalty to those He has called
Listen to God, not the enemy.
And then:
2) DECIDE TO TRUST
• Once you know what is true then believe it.
• Cast it on God.
• Pray to Him, give it to Him, lean upon Him.
• Forsake your emotion and make a willful decision to trust Him.
This is why “Do not fear” is so often a command in the Bible.
You are commanded to overcome your fears.
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Determine what is true and Decide to trust God.
Isn’t that what Paul said there?
Well Paul said one more thing: “with thanksgiving”
When we see God’s truth and determine to trust Him,
Another key element in overcoming fear is to
DEMONSTRATE THANKFULNESS.
It is the proverbial “Count your blessings” approach.
• The enemy puts in you in fear by diverting all your focus to the one difficult area in your life.
• Don’t let your mind be so one-sided.
• Make sure your mind also focuses on everything that is going right in your life.
As you start to give thanks to God, even in the midst of danger,
You will find that your own soul is lifted up
As you recount all the victories God has won for you,
Is winning for you, and will win for you.
Thanksgiving is a huge part of overcoming fear.
And that leads us to the 3rd point of David’s Song.
So you see David’s Complaint and David’s Confidence
#3 DAVID’S COMMITMENT
Psalms 56:12-13
Here David recounts to God that he ultimately HAS NO CHOICE but to move forward.
• He has pledged his life to God.
• He has signed up for service.
“Your vows are binding upon me, O God;”
That is another great way to overcome fear…OBEDIENCE.
• Are you afraid to share your faith?
• Are you afraid to speak the truth?
• Are you afraid to go on that mission trip?
• Are you afraid to give sacrificially?
• Are you afraid to publicly confess Christ?
Then don’t do it out of confidence, do it out of obedience
Because you already said you would.
David is there.
He’s going forward because he has made a commitment to the Lord.
And in that obedience David now turns to that final aspect we spoke of.
DAVID TURNS TO GRATITUDE.
“I will render thank offerings to You.”
I am going to give You thanks God.
For what?
• (13) “For You have delivered my soul from death” – We call that SALVATION.
• “Indeed my feet from stumbling” – We call that SECURITY
• “So that I may walk before God” – We call that RECONCILIATION
• “In the light of the living.” – We call that LIFE
So you’re afraid of circumstances in your life and you are having a hard time going forward…
You need to Determine What Is True – search out God’s word.
You need to Decide To Trust – lay it all at the feet of the trustworthy God.
You need to Demonstrate Thankfulness – start with the fact that this God saved you when you were in sin, and reconciled you to Himself, and has secured your soul for all eternity and given you life.
Start with that.
And by the time you are finished thanking God for that
You should be adequately convinced that
God is both willing and able to carry you through anything.
This is how a believer overcomes fear.
It worked for David and it will work for you.
