I have discovered the best way to deal with my fears is to be proactive. Fear is often defined as an emotional response to a potentially dangerous circumstance. If we accept that definition, how can we be proactive in facing something that hasn’t yet happened?
King David gives us some insights in Psalm 27 into how he dealt with his fears. In the first three verses of this Psalm, we find David rehearsing some of the characteristics of God. He calls God his light, his salvation, and the stronghold of his life.
According to Jewish literary tradition, the setting of this psalm is when David has fled from his son, Absalom. His circumstances are dire, but instead of initially focusing on the dangerous setting he finds himself in, he chooses to focus on God.
I’m sure you’ve heard the old expression, “He’s so heavenly minded that he’s no earthly good.” I guess the idea is that some people spend so much time talking about spiritual things that they never make a connection to earthly reality. This was not the case with David.
The rightful king of Israel fully understood the gravity of his situation. His son was trying to kill him. Nevertheless, his first response was not to form a battle plan. Instead, his mind went heavenward as he recounted the goodness and power of his God.
Several generations later, the prophet Jehaziel would remind King Jehoshaphat that “the battle is not yours but God’s.” We all need to be reminded of this. More importantly, we need to regularly remind ourselves of this. When we start by focusing on our circumstances, our hearts are often drawn toward fear. After all, our troubling circumstances are greater than our human resources. But, when we start by focusing on God, our faith is fortified.
One of my closest friends was arrested several years ago for planting the church in a very restrictive country. He told me, “Mark, it wasn’t until I found myself in the darkest place on earth that I came to fully understand that God is my light.” What challenges are you facing today? I am not minimizing the overwhelming nature of these difficulties. I just want to remind you that if you are in Christ, the battle is first of all God’s. So, join me to today as we rehearse the character of our Savior.
