I am afraid.
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me;
Terrors of death are fallen upon me.
Afraid because there is more evil in me than good,
Lying rather than righteousness,
Weakness instead of strength.
I am like an unripe olive tree
Without fruit.
Oh, that I had wings like a dove,
I would fly away
And be at rest.
I would hasten my escape
From the windy storm
And tempest.
Afraid God may cast me off
And curse this green tree,
For He came seeking fruit
And found none.
So afraid that all I can do is trust in him.
I will call
And he will save me.
He shall hear my voice
And deliver my soul in peace
From the battle
That is against me.
He will bottle my tears.
God is for me.
He will keep my feet from falling,
That I my walk before him in the light of the living.
Are you engulfed in fear? Does your mind often stray from the safety of God’s presence into the frightening places that imagine every worst-case scenario? You are not alone, dear friends! Every person battles fear, even the bravest and strongest among us. The psalmist David expressed his fears and his need to return to the care and protection of the Lord. “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you” (Psalm 56:3, NKJV).
This protection isn’t just for the physical body; our minds need fortifying, too. The enemy of our souls wants to weaken and conquer us with fear before the battle even begins. His strategy is to make us feel frail and defeated by sin and to be paralyzed by fears of things that will never happen.
However, God has other plans for us. “Trust in me!” he says. “Satan has already been defeated. You are my sons and daughters. Nothing is too hard for me, and you have my full protection. I am your mighty fortress! Give your fears to me.”
Here is the apostle Paul’s powerful antidote to fear. “And [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). We have the power of Christ!