When to Trust in the Lord

Psalm 56:1-13 The Bible exhorts us in many verses to trust in the Lord at all times. There is, however, a special time when we need to say aloud, “I trust in the Lord.” That special time is when fear comes upon us. David writes in this psalm,”What time I am afraid, I will trust in You.” If you are familiar with David’s history, you will know he was provided with many opportunities to be afraid. He constantly was surrounded by enemies, and in the psalms David reveals some of the secrets to overcoming fear. He certainly became an expert at this. David was quite sure that fear would always present its cold, clammy handshake throughout his life. David, however, learned not to shake hands with the devil and receive fear.

Fear is the frontal assault the enemy uses against us. If he can get us in fear, then he has neutralized any effort of ours to overcome him. We must have faith to overcome the enemy, and fear always negates faith. Fear is the anesthesia Satan uses to paralyze so he can then perform his surgery on his victims. If we learn to refuse fear, we will spare ourselves from much of what Satan would love to accomplish in our lives. Jesus said, “Fear not,” and the words “be not afraid” and “fear not” are written over 365 times in the Bible. We see over and over again people who began in faith, but then were overwhelmed by fear. The moment fear entered in, they were neutralized in their effectiveness. An example of this, of course, was Peter when he was walking on the water. Everything was going fine until Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the angry sea. He was overcome with fear and began to sink.

In this psalm David tells us what to do when fear comes. David knew that Satan would never stop trying to put fear on him, but David learned how to resist Satan when he came knocking at the door of his heart with the special delivery marked “FEAR.” The moment fear knocked, David said, “I will trust in the Lord.” Not one of us is skillful enough to overcome Satan’s tactics in our own strength. If, however, we put our trust in the Lord to fight our battles for us, we will have the victory every time.

The next time fear comes knocking at your door, say aloud, “I will trust in the Lord and not be afraid.” The moment these words leave your mouth, you will feel a surge of faith and strength rising within you. The Bible tells us not to be anxious about anything, but instead to pray about everything. We have learned today not to be fearful in anything, but to trust the Lord in everything. When we do this, the peace of God will mount guard over our hearts with His peace. Fear always attacks the heart and upper part of the body. Fear causes our hearts to race, and also causes that sinking feeling in the pit of our stomachs. The moment you feel either of these sensations, immediately say aloud, “I will trust in the Lord and not be afraid.” A blanket of God’s peace will flow over you, and you will be able to fulfill all God desires for you on this earth.

READ: Numbers 19:1-20:29; Luke 1:1-25; Psalm 56:1-13; Proverbs 11:8