When I am afraid

The last few weeks, my mom had been singing When I Am Afraid by Steve Green to my son. My son, who loves music and to sing, has picked up the song. It has become a permanent part of the songs he likes to sing.

The past several weeks, I have been dealing with fear. I have come to the realization that it has been part of my battle with depression. With God’s help, I have been trying to address that fear head on and not let it continue to have control over me.

This week, I was once again tempted to let hear take to control. The song my mom had been singing to my son came to mind. I looked up the scripture that the song came from. It is found in Psalms 56. The description before the psalm says that David wrote it when the Philistines had seized him at Gath.

While David is talking about physical enemies that he can see, I think this psalm can also apply to those enemies that we can’t see. They are attacking our minds and souls. I am so thankful that when the enemy comes to attack, we don’t have to fear. We can trust God.

Psalms 56

Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.
For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Psalms 56:1‭-‬13 ESV