Overcoming Fear

Overcoming fear

What is your greatest fear? For our grandson Colton he told me that he was very fearful of thunder while we were at camp. Later on, he said he needed to be a big boy and not be afraid. What is you biggest fear? I want us to look at Psalm 34 to see what it says about fear and how to overcome the fear that we have. Saul who wanted to kill him was chasing David at this time in his life. He came to the camp of an enemy for safety but here his life was wanted also. Here he faked being crazy to save his life. I want us to look at two things we can do to overcome fear. Some things it tells us we should be. The last point has to do with the fact that God is our protection and we need not fear.

#1 1-3, David vows to bless the Lord, and invites the praise of others. WE ARE TO Praise the Lord.

Fear is over come by our praising. It is like trying to skip without smiling. Our minds are on higher things.

1. We are to praise the Lord. “I will bless the Lord at all times.” He is resolved and fixed, I will; he is personally and for himself determined, he knows to whom the praise is due, and what is due, and for what and when and that is To God. The Lord has by right praise, at all times, in every situation, under every circumstance, before, in and after trials, in bright days of glee, and dark nights of fear He has right to be praised. He would never be done praising, because he is never satisfied that he had done enough; always feeling that he fell short of the Lord’s deserving. His praise shall continually be in my mouth, not in my heart merely, but in my mouth too. Our tongue ought to make known the glory of God. What a blessed mouthful is God’s praise! How sweet if men’s mouths were always filled, there would be no complaining to God, or smearing of others. All the anger of daily affliction would be swallowed up in joy. God deserves blessing with our hearts, and praise with our mouths. If we have good thoughts in the closet there will be good words in the world. We are to esteem blessing, to give honor, praise, and glory to him, both as the God of nature and providence, for every temporal mercy for every day. To do it at all times in the day. They are being renewed every morning, and continue all the daylong: they are irrevocable, fixed, and without regret. We have reason to bless God at all times of misfortune as well as success, for all is for our good.

2. We are to boast in the lord. Boasting is a very natural inclination for most of us so why not use it for the lord. Delight is not the tongue bragging but coming from the soul. We boast about God’s person, attributes, pledges, promises, works that are unmatched, unequaled, perfect. We should talk of the Lord’s goodness on purpose that others may put their trust in a faithful God. My boast is in the Lord, Not in men, not in any outward enjoyment, not in any works of righteousness. My boast is in the Word of the Lord, in the Lord Jesus Christ. My boast is in his wisdom, strength, riches, righteousness, redemption, and in His salvation.

3. We are to exalt the Lord. Who can make God great but those who feel themselves to be little? God is infinite, and therefore cannot be made greater. His name grows in glory, as he is made known to his people. It is well when the soul feels its own inability to glorify the Lord. No praise can excel that which lays us low under a sense of our own nothingness. Social worship is the outgrowth of one of the natural characters of the new life. In heaven, we will enjoy it to the fullest, while on earth it is like heaven where it abounds.

We can Praise, Boast and exalt the Lord. Whatever our fear May be Praise takes it away.

# 2. 4-7 We are to pray to the lord.

1. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. It must have been in a very confused manner that David prayed, and there must have been much of self-sufficiency in his prayer, or he would not have resorted to methods of such questioning morality as pretending to be mad and behaving as a lunatic. We may seek God even when we have sinned. If sin could blockade the mercy seat it would be all over with us. He delivered me from all my fears. God makes a perfect work of it. He clears away both our fears and their causes, all of them without exception. He sought the Lord, and he heard him. The Lord heard and answered even his silent groans, which could not be uttered; and delivered him from all fears. He was in the hands of Achish, king of Gath. He had killed Goliath their giant. The Lord is able to save out of the hands of all our enemies, grant his presence, and show us awareness of him, which will scatter all our fears.