What do you do when you feel fear? I’ve tried many things over the years.
- I “sit” in my fear and let myself feel it. Experts say that the physiological effects of an emotion last no longer than 90 seconds. If one doesn’t feel the emotion, it can come back to bat over and over again
- I call a friend who knows my story and is willing to walk with me through the struggles. It helps to talk.
- I quote a Scripture out loud or I sing a song out loud. This technique has proved the most helpful.
- Then there’s the other thing I do: imagine all of the catastrophes that could happen if what I fear comes true. Unfortunately, this is the one I choose most often.
The song I have hummed most often over the years has been one of the songs from Steve Green’s “Hide ‘Em in Your Heart” series. From Psalm 56, this scripture memory song highlights verses 3 and 4:
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; uI shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
Watch the cute video to hear the song but be prepared to have that song bouncing through your brain synapses all day long. I remember singing this to my kids a few times before they liked this song better.
For a number of years, I made a huge mistake. Without knowing it, I bought into soundbite theology. I found myself quoting particular verses to myself and others that were out of the context for the entire paragraph, book, and Bible. In this case, I blew it. I never looked at the entire Psalm, it’s context in all of Scripture, and how it applies to my life. So, please indulge me as I do it now.
David wrote Psalm 56 under duress. He was surrounded by Philistines in the country of Gath when he was fleeing from the coming wrath of the King of Israel, Saul. That sounds bad, but it gets worse.
Saul embraced David years before when he marched into the camp with lunches for his brothers and ended up beheading Goliath. Israel had been stymied by the army of Philistia for days. Saul was cowering in fear in his tent when some scrawny kid traipsed in and then took down their greatest warrior with one stone from a sling. The defeat of Goliath led to Israel defeating Philistia and pushing them back to a small scratch of dirt known as Gath.
When Saul found out that this kid who sang songs to him was actually anointed to be the next king, courtly matters got weird. Saul was bipolar in his relationship with David. Sometimes, he wanted him close. He was soothed by David’s harp playing and singing. Other times, Saul wanted David dead. In the middle of these emotional pendulum swings, David and Saul’s son, Jonathan, became best friends.
Over time, David began fearing for his life. There weren’t enough kind moments from the king. He and Jonathan developed a plan and a secret code to aid in David’s escape. One day, Jonathan used the code and David fled to the Israeli city of Nob where he talked with a priest, Ahimelech, who was worried about David’s safety. David was alone. David looked scared. David was unarmed. All of these behaviors signaled to Ahimelech that something stank in the kingdom of Israel. David asked him for a weapon but the only one in Nob was—movie moment please—Goliath’s sword. David killed Goliath with one stone from his sling, but walked up to Goliath, picked up his sword, and chopped off his head. That’s something we don’t often see animated for children’s Bible hour.
So David took this infamous sword and headed out.
Turn the page in your Bible and guess where he ends up? In Gath, surrounded by Philistines who are scared of David. They quote a popular song played in all of the fashionable dance clubs at time time.
“‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
So, what did David do? Read this:
And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.
The scripture implies that David’s insanity was a ruse. Perhaps. If so, I’m glad for him. My insanity when I’m afraid is not. I’m sure to others, my behavior looks strange. I don’t scratch my doors, but my anger has dented walls when I threw my keys and fenders when I put the car in Drive instead of Reverse (when I had no business driving at all).
In your fear, how have you acted crazy? How have you catastrophized your life? What have you done to escape a situation or the present of someone else?
That’s the background for this Psalm. Knowing the background, read the Psalm. Don’t buzz past it. Really read it. If you’re alone, read it aloud.
To the choirmaster: according to “The Dove on Far-off Terebinths.” A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
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.Psalm 56, ESV, Emphasis added.
What do you fear today? Who is pursuing you or making your crazy? Where do you feel oppressed? Trust me: you don’t have to slobber to get out of something. Probably.
This time you are afraid, come back to David’s chorus. In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Seriously: what can they do to you?*
Sure, I’ve heard noises outside and seen a tow truck repo my car. I’ve opened registered mail and been scared to death by the threats inside from a bill collector. I’ve been fired. I’ve read my divorce decree. These are terrible things, horrible things that changed my life forever, but I’m still vertical and drawing breath. So are you.
So, the next time you and I feel fear, let’s do something constructive. Perhaps, sing a children’s song.