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Longing for God Longing for God

Daily Devotional | When I Fear

Devotions

Moses experienced fear. When God called him to deliver Israel from Egypt, Moses was afraid that his own people would not listen to him, that Pharaoh would not respect him, and that he could not speak well enough to accomplish the job (Exodus 3–4). Even so, God worked through Moses. His fear was overcome by God’s promise to be with him every step of the way.

In Psalm 56, David was fearful. He had enemies dogging his every step (vv. 1–2). They chased him “all day long” with the hope that they would ultimately take his life (vv. 2, 6). These adversaries wanted not only to kill David but also to destroy his reputation (v. 5).

David confessed that he was afraid (v. 3). This admission was the first step to transforming his mindset. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you,” he declared (v. 3). David reminded himself of two truths about God. First, God is powerful. He can take down nations and deliver us from any situation (vv. 7, 13). Second, David reminded himself that God cares for him. In a beautiful image, David declared, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not all in your book?” (v. 8, ESV). God not only knows about David’s suffering, He keeps track of every sleepless night and every shed tear.

Having reminded himself of God’s power and compassion, David was able to change his perspective. He proclaimed, “In God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?” (v. 11). Humans can do enormous damage to one another, but David’s point here was that they were not powerful enough to thwart God’s plan for his life.

>> Fear is a normal part of life in a fallen world. That is why the most often repeated command in the Bible is “Do not be afraid.” We all need to be reminded that “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

Pray with Us

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Ps. 56:3). These words show us an escape from the grip of fear. God, we look to you in both good and bad times, in times of victory as well as failure.

BY Ryan Cook

Dr. Ryan Cook has taught at Moody Bible Institute since 2012. He earned his bachelor of arts in Bible and Theology from Moody and his master of arts in Old Testament from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He has worked in Christian education and served as a pastor in Michigan for seven years. During his time as a professor at Moody, he earned his doctorate from Asbury Theological Seminary. He now lives with his wife, Ashley, and their three children in the Chicagoland area.

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