Afraid? Immerse Your Heart in This Verse

One of the reasons I love reading the Book of Psalms is because it’s raw and real. King David, the author of many of the psalms, reminds me in his transparency that it’s okay to mess up, freak out, be scared, feel overwhelmed, and need help. But he doesn’t stop there. He also consistently reassures and encourages himself (and me!) with truth—who God is, what God can do, how many times God has helped him before.

When scary stuff happens, David boldly vents His feelings to the Lord. He doesn’t deny his feelings. He doesn’t pretend his problems don’t exist. And he never denies reality. But then David pivots, reminding Himself how great the Lord is, how powerful He is, how faithful He is. No matter what situation he finds himself in (and there were plenty of life-threatening, heartbreaking, unjust events in his life), David always chooses to focus on the Lord and trust Him. Always.

One of those unsettling times, when David was seized by the Philistines, he had every reason to panic. Yes, he freely acknowledged his fear, but then he declared his trust in the Lord in the following verse:

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. (Psalm 56:3)

Lately, my heart has camped on this verse. When it feels the world has gone crazy, when I’m overwhelmed, when I’m fearful and unsettled, I’ve been making every effort to remember to acknowledge to the Lord (and to myself!) that I will still trust Him.

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. (Psalm 56:3)

Hint: We can replace the word afraid with any prevailing emotion and declare God’s trustworthiness over our circumstances and over our lives. Declaring Scripture in this personal way reassures our hearts. It cements truth into our troubled minds. It helps us release the heaviness of it all and entrust it to Him. This creates peace in our hearts!

When I am unsettled, I will trust in you.

When I am overwhelmed, I will trust in you.

When I am uncertain, I will trust in you.

When I am worried x 1000, I will trust in you.

When I am disappointed, I will trust in you.

When I am misunderstood, I will trust in you.

When I am brokenhearted, I will trust in you.

When I am anxious, I will trust in you.

When craziness in the world, our nation, or even our own families unsettle us and make us fearful, we can choose to trust God anyway. We can immerse our hearts in the comforting truth of Scripture. We can choose to trust the One who is always with us, always faithful, always sovereign.

CHALLENGE: This week, every time you feel afraid, upset, unsettled, or anything else, take a deep breath. Pivot to God’s Word and read Psalm 56:3. Say it aloud. Immerse your heart in it. And believe it. 



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