Winston Churchill said: “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”
A disease sweeps the nation. It is no respecter of persons. It crosses national boundaries. It afflicts the old and the young; the rich and the poor.
The disease is not COVID-19. No, it is not a new disease. In fact, it is as old as Adam and Eve. The disease is fear.
It afflicts us at an early age. When the thunderstorm came at night, a little boy was afraid and asked his mother: “Mommy, would you sleep with me tonight?” She said, “I can’t, honey, I need to sleep with your daddy.” As she walked him back to his bedroom, through his whimpers, he said: “The big sissy.”
When it comes to fear, we’re all big sissies!
Fear is an emotional response to real or imagined danger. We fear lots of things: people, places, things, animals, even our own thoughts.
A psychologist can label your fear, but cannot give you victory over your fear.
Only God can do that.
Psalm 34 teaches us how to face our fears.
The backstory of Psalm 34 is 1 Samuel 21 & 22. Young David, the newly anointed king of Israel, was on the run. The old king, Saul, was jealous of the young king’s popularity after his victory over Goliath. In his fear (and probably fatigue), David made a strategic and dumb mistake. He tried to get lost in the crowd in Philistine territory. Of all places, he went to Goliath’s hometown, Gath! That would be like Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to hide out on the streets of Tehran! In no time, David was recognized. To protect himself, he feigned madness, scribbling on the walls and letting his saliva dribble down his face. He won the Best Actor award, and his ruse fooled the Philistines, who ejected him from their city. David fled to the cave of Adullam back in Israel’s territory.
When I read Psalm 34:1-10, I see three things I must do to face my fears:
- When I’m Afraid, I Will Praise! (1-3)
The first thing you do is worship God. That which causes your fear may not immediately dissipate, but God just gets bigger!
2. When I’m Afraid, I Will Pray! (4-7)
Prayer invites God into my fears. God has many ways of deliverance, but always works on his timetable, not mine. Our job is to trust him. You have two choices. You can fear things, people, circumstances and be paralyzed; or you can fear God and not be afraid of anything!
3. When I’m Afraid, I will Obtain God’s Provision (8-10)
The proof of the pudding is in the eating! Taste and see that the Lord is good!
Psalm 34 is about the exuberance you feel when a great weight has been lifted! It’s like the day all of the exams are over; or the day you pass the driving test. In Psalm 34, David reflects on God’s intervention in his life.
So what are you afraid of? If you fear things like COVID-19, you are destined never to have your fears overcome. If you fear God, you will fear nothing else.
Fear is a form of idolatry and the opposite of faith.
Fear is a reaction. Faith is a decision!