Verse of the Day 9/11

Psalm 56:3-4 When I am afraid,

 I put my trust in you.

⁴ In God, whose word I praise,

    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

There are many things in life that can strike fear into the heart of even the strongest Christian.  Fear is a natural human feeling and emotion.  We try to tell ourselves that we are strong that we have the power to stand up amidst adversity.  But when those days of strife and trouble come upon us unexpectedly, we fear, perhaps only for a few moments, but we fear nonetheless.

One of the things that I greatly appreciate about the Psalms and the Bible in general is the honesty about its characters, our forefathers in the faith.  They let us know how it really is and let us know the emotions that have come along with their experiences.  They also let us know how we can be overcomers, to rise above the circumstances.

John Piper writes, "Notice: it does not say, "I never struggle with fear." Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike."  The key is not whether or not that we will be struck with fear, the key is where we go, who do we turn to when it occurs.  The psalmist reminds us that his trust and ours should be in God, that in the end, nothing that man threatens us with will ultimately harm us.

I'm reminded of the Amy Grant song "Thy Word", taken from Psalm 119:105.  The words admit to being afraid , "when" not if I'm afraid.  Realizing that God is near allows us to say in effect "take my side God" (The Message), I'll trust in you to see me through.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid, 
And think I've lost my way.
Still, you're there right beside me.
Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near; 
Please be near me to the end.

May we feel His presence in whatever situation may cause us to fear today and every day.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Psalm 56:3-4The Message (MSG)

A David Psalm, When He Was Captured by the Philistines in Gath

56 ^1-4 Take my side, God—I'm getting kicked around,
    stomped on every day.
Not a day goes by
    but somebody beats me up;
They make it their duty
    to beat me up.
When I get really afraid
    I come to you in trust.
I'm proud to praise God;
    fearless now, I trust in God.
    What can mere mortals do?