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.”
The Greek word for “entrust” is pa?at???µ? (paratithemi) — meaning “to place beside or to commit for safekeeping.” Jesus placed His very life in the Father’s hands, even as He faced the wrath of sin and death.
And because He trusted perfectly, you and I can trust completely.
The cross proves that God is trustworthy.
The resurrection proves that He is victorious.
And the Gospel calls us to respond with faith and repentance.
Romans 10:9 (NLT): “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Fear is rooted in uncertainty. The Gospel gives certainty. Because Jesus lives, we don’t have to fear tomorrow, death, or eternity.
Tim Keller once said: “The only thing that can cast out fear is love. And the only love that is truly fear-destroying is the love of God in Christ.”
The cross is that love displayed — perfect love casting out all fear (1 John 4:18).
Point 4: Trust in God is the Testimony of the Redeemed
David ends Psalm 56 by declaring: Psalm 56:13 (NLT): “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.”
Fear leads to faith, faith leads to praise, and praise leads to a new walk.
When we trust God, we begin to live differently — not defined by fear, but by faith in the light of His presence.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT): “For we live by believing and not by seeing.”
You may not see the outcome yet. But trust Him anyway.
Max Lucado wrote: “Feed your fears, and your faith will starve. Feed your faith, and your fears will starve.”
That’s the secret of Psalm 56 — David stopped feeding his fear and started feeding his faith in God’s promises.
Gospel Presentation:
My friend, fear is not your greatest enemy. Sin is.
Fear might trouble your sleep, but sin condemns your soul.
And the only cure for sin is Jesus Christ — the One who conquered fear, sin, and death on the cross.
Jesus was betrayed, beaten, crucified — but on the third day He rose again, defeating death forever. He took your fear, your guilt, and your shame upon Himself, so that you could be forgiven and free.
You cannot trust your way into Heaven. You must trust in Jesus alone — the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you.
Tonight, if you are afraid — afraid of the future, afraid of death, afraid of being alone — hear this truth:
You are never truly safe until your soul is safe in Jesus Christ.
Repent of your sin. Turn from self-reliance to Saviour-reliance.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ — and you will be saved.
Call to Action:
David said, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”
What will you do with your fear tonight?
You can feed it — or you can trust God with it.
If you are a believer, take your fear and make it a platform for praise.
If you are not yet a believer, take your fear and let it lead you to the foot of the Cross.
God does not promise the absence of storms — but He does promise His presence in every storm.
Benediction / Exhortation:
So, as you go this week —
Go in faith.
Go in peace.
Go, and when you are afraid, trust in the Lord your God.
May the peace of Christ guard your heart.
May the love of the Father strengthen your soul.
And may the power of the Holy Spirit remind you that you are never alone.
Amen.
