Go! And Trust God When You Are Afraid - Psalm 56:3 Series

Go! And Trust God When You Are Afraid - Psalm 56:3

Psalm 56:3 (NLT) – “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”

Introduction – Faith in the Face of Fear

Fear. It’s one of the most universal human emotions. From the trembling of a child in the dark to the anxious heart of an adult uncertain about tomorrow — fear is something we all know.

David knew it too. When he wrote Psalm 56, he wasn’t sitting in a peaceful meadow with sheep grazing nearby. He was running for his life. He had fled from King Saul and found himself captured by the Philistines in Gath — the hometown of Goliath, the very giant he had once killed!

Imagine the terror: David, the giant-slayer, now surrounded by enemies who remembered what he had done. He had every reason to fear. Yet from that place of desperation came one of the most beautiful declarations of faith in Scripture:

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3, NLT)

This verse isn’t the voice of a fearless man. It’s the voice of a faithful man — a man who learned that courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the decision to trust God despite fear.

Point 1: Fear is Real — But It’s Not Final

Let’s be honest — fear is a reality for all of us. It might not be Philistine soldiers we’re facing, but it might be cancer. It might be financial loss. It might be rejection, loneliness, or uncertainty about the future.

Fear tells us that we’re out of control. Faith tells us that God is still in control.

The Hebrew word for “trust” used here is ?????? (ba?a?) — it means to be confident, secure, or bold. It’s a picture of leaning the full weight of your life upon something solid. David wasn’t trusting in his strength, his sword, or his strategy. He was leaning fully on God.

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT): “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

When fear shouts, “You’re alone!”, faith whispers, “God is with you.”

Charles Stanley once said:“Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”

I love that. It’s what David did. In Gath, he couldn’t control the consequences — but he could choose to trust God. And when we trust Him, we find peace not in the absence of trouble but in the presence of our Saviour.

A missionary once said, “I’m immortal until God is done with me.” That’s not arrogance — that’s faith. It’s the assurance that no fear, no disease, no persecution can end your story until God says, “It’s time.”

So, when you are afraid — trust Him. Not because you’re strong, but because He is faithful.

Point 2: Faith Transforms Fear into Worship

In Psalm 56:4 (NLT), David continues: “I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?”

Here, trust leads to praise.

David doesn’t just endure his fear — he worships through it.

This is the turning point for every believer. Fear wants you to focus on what might happen. Faith focuses on Who God is.

The Hebrew phrase for “I praise God” is ?????????? ???????? (be’lohim ahallel) — literally, “I will shine forth praise in God.” Worship becomes a light in the darkness of fear.

Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT): “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.”

Paul reminds us that peace isn’t the absence of fear — it’s the presence of trusting prayer.

John Piper wrote: “Faith is not a mere decision to believe certain facts; it is a heartfelt embrace of God as our all-satisfying treasure.”

That’s what David discovered. When he embraced God as his treasure, fear lost its power.

Think of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14. As long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus, he stood firm. But when he looked at the storm, he began to sink. The same waves that scared him became solid ground beneath his feet when his gaze was on Christ.

So, where are your eyes tonight? On the storm — or on the Saviour?

Point 3: Trust in God Points Us to the Cross

Every fear we face in life ultimately points us to the greatest act of trust in all history — the cross of Jesus Christ.

Luke 23:46 (NLT): “Then Jesus shouted, ‘Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!’ And with those words he breathed his last.”