I LOVE the Psalms, for I can relate to them. I can especially relate to this one, so much so that I cannot read it without breaking a smile or laughing. David begins this psalm with a cry for God’s mercy followed by a declaration of faith in God. So far, so good. 

These two verses, Psalm  56:3-4, are his declaration of faith: 

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me

He proclaims, “Because I trust in God, I will not be afraid!” Then he asks what appears to be a rhetorical question, “What can mere mortals do to me?”

Now, here’s where I must laugh. He proceeds to make a list of what his enemies can do, answering the question that doesn’t turn out to be so rhetorical, after all. 

They twist his words. They scheme. They conspire. They lurk. They spy.  In the midst of praying for protection, and in the midst of praising God for divine help, David panics. 

I praise God that He saw fit to paint inspirational characters so honestly! What good would the Bible be if it were full of flawless, two-dimensional characters. David was real, just like Christ is real. David was full of faults, full of doubts, and full of fears, just like you and I. Yet, he overcame by trusting in God. Just like you and I may. 

Have you ever been scared? Have you ever faced such a sudden calamity that you had no time to react? Within the Twinkling of an eye you are overcome by primal fear. 

I was once overcome by primal fear. I knew I was about to be the victim of a tragic auto accident. It was sudden. Unexpected. It was the worst kind of fear, for there was no time to react. But for the grace of God, I would have been dead within a split second of realizing I was in trouble. 

When it was all said and done, I sat in my car, hands molded to the steering wheel in a death-grip. 

Years later, I was threatened with a potentially terminal disease. That time, I had time to think and pray. For weeks that was all I did, but not because I was afraid. Not this time. Rather, I was at peace, knowing that God was with me, holding my hand. My prayers were of thanksgiving. “Fear Not. For I am with you.” Claim the promise.