Today we are going to take a posture of peace by recognizing that being afraid is actually
an opportunity to learn how to not live afraid. Posture is a short audible fist bump to remind
you God is with you in everything. Together we're going to be emboldened to take a daily
posture of perfect peace. In Psalm 56 verse 3 David writes this to the Lord. He says,
when I am afraid I put my trust in you. Now David wrote Psalm 56 when he was captured at
Gath by the Philistines and you can read all about the wild and crazy situation that David
was in during this time by reading 1 Samuel chapter 21. David is basically running scared
here. The place that he was once welcomed and celebrated, King Saul's household,
has become a death trap due to Saul's jealousy of him and is totally unjust and definitely not fair
but it's what David finds himself in and he actually runs to enemy territory. Gath was the
hometown of the giant Goliath that David had killed so he's definitely recognized when he's
there and he totally panics and you really should go read more of the story today but here's what I
want to focus on from this psalm. David was afraid. This is the giant slayer. This is the same kid who
killed a lion and a bear. He had been anointed king. He had experienced the power and the presence
of God in his life and yet he's afraid because he finds himself in a situation that quite frankly
does not add up. It doesn't match the promises of God over his life. It's totally unjust, completely
unfair. It's definitely confusing because he goes from hero to zero all of a sudden and it's shaken
David up a bit. You know when you think about what fear is, it's this awe-like state. It's this sense
of being totally overwhelmed. I'm pretty sure that David was feeling this not just mentally but
emotionally and physically. I'm sure his cortisol levels were through the roof, his mind was probably
racing, his emotions I'm sure were all over the place and it's in that state of total crisis and
chaos David says, you know what Lord I am not going to be in more awe of this situation than I am of
you. I'm going to put my trust in you. When I read Psalm 56, I see the transfer of David's overwhelm
taking place. It's like he's saying, God I am not going to be overwhelmed by the injustice, I'm going
to be overwhelmed by your mercy. God I'm not going to be overwhelmed by people's violence towards me,
I'm going to be overwhelmed by your kindness towards me. God I'm not going to be overwhelmed
by what has been said about me or what has been said to me, I'm going to be overwhelmed by your
word over my life. God, I'm not going to be overwhelmed by the fear that I'm currently
feeling right now, I'm going to be overwhelmed by your faithfulness. God, I don't know why
this is happening but I know you and I know that's enough. David had been anointed king,
he was a warrior and he still had to deal with fear even after many victories. You know I used
to feel such shame for being afraid, like something must be wrong with me or my connection
with God must be broken somehow. And if you felt this way too, I have such good news for you today.
Fear doesn't change your identity. Fear does not change whose you are. Your being afraid
doesn't change who God is and who he has empowered you to be. Your circumstance, good,
bad or ugly, doesn't change your stance with God. You are in Christ and he is in you.
First John 4.4 says, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. So being afraid
isn't a failure and it's not the final word over your life, it's an opportunity, it's training
for reigning. In crisis, in chaos, in confusion, you have an opportunity to make the transfer,
to turn your awe towards God and be totally overwhelmed by him. In verses 10 and 11 in Psalm
56, David writes this, he says, in God whose word I praise, in the Lord whose word I praise,
in God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? You know David's saying here,
I may be afraid right now but I don't have to stay afraid.
I don't have to live afraid. This isn't my destiny. Who is with me is greater
than what's coming against me right now. And just like David, you are called to
rule and reign. It's your kingdom identity. If you keep reading David's
story after he leaves Gath, you'll see there is a lot of life before he
actually becomes the king he was anointed to be. There's gonna be some
cave dwelling, more betrayal, loss, and more being afraid. But each fear inducing
circumstance that David faces is really just another opportunity for him to
transfer his awe away from the circumstance back over to God until he
becomes so overwhelmed by the majesty of God that he cannot be overwhelmed by
anything else. And that is the life of being more than a conqueror, and it's the
life you've been empowered by Jesus Christ to live. So I want to encourage
you to put your trust in God today. And here's something to remember, trust is
not a feeling, it's a decision. So make the decision right now and then move
forward in that decision at every opportunity. And you can do this by
thanking God, by worshiping God, by reading his word, by talking with him in
prayer. You may feel afraid right now, but you don't have to stay afraid. And you
definitely don't have to live afraid because the one who loves you most has
set you free from fear and has made you more than a conqueror.