I want out ∙
As for me, I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me. – Psalms 55:16
Psalms 55:4-18
4 My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me.
5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.
6 Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!
7 I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.
8 How quickly I would escape – far from this wild storm of hatred.
11 Everything is falling apart; threats are rampant in the streets.
12 It is not an enemy who taunts me – I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me – I could have hidden from them.
16 But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me.
17 Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice.
18 He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me.
Fear is a universal human experience, with at least 60 percent of adults acknowledging that they harbor at least one unreasonable fear. Despite its pervasiveness, the exact reasons why these fears manifest remain elusive. Secular research offers various theories: one suggests a genetic predisposition to fear, while another attributes it to past traumatic experiences.
Fear is an emotional response to perceived threats or dangers. It is often characterized by anticipation or dread of potential disappointment or catastrophe. Fear can be rational, based on real and immediate threats, such as physical danger. However, it can also be irrational, arising from imagined dangers or past experiences, like the fear of failure or the fear of rejection. Phobias, such as arachnophobia or claustrophobia, are extreme examples of irrational fears that can significantly affect a person’s life.
Fear is a fundamental survival mechanism that triggers a range of physiological and psychological reactions. It prepares the body to either confront or flee from the threat, a response commonly known as “fight or flight.”
At times, our world can be daunting, causing fears to surface and driving us to worry, dread, and heartache. This is especially evident when it comes to fearing the future. Fear reveals more about us and our inner selves than our circumstances. While it is natural to experience anxiety when danger is present or bad things happen, overcoming fear is possible. It all depends upon what we do with it. By acknowledging our fears, understanding their origins, and facing them with courage, we can transform fear from a limiting force into a catalyst for growth and resilience. Faith has the power to transform our fears into opportunities for growth and resilience.
In Psalms 55, David is overwhelmed by the turmoil surrounding him and teeters on the brink of what we might now call a nervous breakdown. Engulfed by uncertainty, he yearns for a way to escape. David wants to run away, make that, fly away.
Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! (Psalms 55:6).
Despite the weight of his fears, David had developed a lifestyle of faith in the face of overwhelming odds. Rather than giving in to fear, David chose to pursue hope and confidence. Rather than running away from his pain, he decided to face it and ran to the Father. David called upon the Father to rescue him in his circumstances, not from the circumstances (Psalms 55:16).
In those moments when life feels unbearable, and escape seems tempting, David’s journey inspires us to boldly trust in the Father and rise above our immediate fears.
As Charles Stanley reminds us, “When the walls close in and the floor gives way, we often wish we could be anywhere but where God has put us. Trusting God, however, means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.”
REFLECT & PRAY
Consider your own responses to fear and uncertainty. Are you seeking to escape or find refuge in faith?
Father, I often find it easy to feel fearful. Many difficult and dreadful events have left me with a hollow ache that turns into dread and anxiety. But, dear Father, You are my rock and fortress against fear. Please rescue me.
INSIGHT
The Lord Jesus Christ, through His atoning death, resurrection, and present intercession for us at the right hand of God, has broken the power of fear.
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Because we are children of the King and members of the Father’s Forever Family, we have a dynamic and remarkable power residing within us to overcome our anxieties.
Fear doesn’t become ingrained in us overnight, and courage and confidence don’t happen suddenly, either. Developing the ability to trust the Father with boldness and unwavering confidence rather than yielding to our natural fears is a gradual process. Peter shows us the way. It all starts with humility, setting the stage for a deeper connection with the Father and transforming how we handle fear.
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time, he will lift you up in honor.
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Faith or fear, the choice is ours. The Father promises perfect peace to those who trust in Him. We have the power to choose faith over fear, and in doing so, we can experience the peace that comes from trusting in the Father.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Psalms 97:11 Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.
Psalms 56:3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.
The psalmist does not say, “If something ever scares me,” he says, “whenever I am afraid.” Fear is a natural human reaction to danger. The Father does not tell us to ignore our fears but to bring them to Him (Stanley).
“If people are afraid, it is because of something in the past that haunts them, or something in the present that upsets them, or something in the future that they feel threatens them. Or it may be a combination of all three. A believer in Jesus Christ does not have to fear the past, present, or future, for he has experienced the love of God, and this love is being perfected in him day by day” (Wiersbe).
Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,
over all victorious in its bright increase:
perfect, yet still flowing fuller every day;
perfect, yet still growing deeper all the way.
Trusting in the Father, hearts are fully blest,
finding, as he promised, perfect peace and rest.
(Frances Ridley Havergal)
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
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© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 