What To Do When I Am Afraid?

Because of Covid-19, we are feeling vulnerable and fragile. Our stock market is yo-yoing like the days of 9/11 and we are being forced to close schools, universities, city hall, and now our church meetings. A few microbes from China has grounded flights, restaurants, and our collective lives. We fear for our senior adults and those who have compromised health around us. Where do we turn to in a time of crisis?

Find Psalm 16 with me if you will.

Today’s Scripture

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” 3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. 5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:1–11).

1. God is My Fortified Castle

The very first words David writes is prayer for his safety: “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge” (Psalm 16:1). David’s prayer is simple, “Keep Me Safe, God.”

1.1 False Security

Pause and consider what makes you feel safe: locks on the doors and a dog to alert you. A lot of things make us feel safe today. If we think of our money, some of you feel safe when your money is in a bank. And some of you feel safe when your money is under your mattress at home. Some of you feel safe with bars on the window while others of you feel safe because of a gun or a weapon you have near your bed each night.

Nations will often trust in their defense systems. Our nation is blessed to have Special Forces such as the Army Rangers and the Navy Seals. Our own stock market reacts to the Consumer Confidence Index where the price goes up when we feel more confident about our future. David was a warrior and a king. Yet, he choose to trust God rather than is military prowess: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

In the middle of all this, we need repeat David’s prayer: “Keep Me Safe, God, for I take refuge in you.” Instead of all these false senses of security, you need to be like David here and say to the Lord, “You are my source of safety. God, if you were to fail me, I have no other place to go. I turn to you for safety. Where else would I go but to you? I find my refuge in you, God.”

1.2 Preserve Me, God

Do you see the very first word in verse one – it’s the word “Preserve.” It’s a word that means “to keep” or “to watch over.” The word “preserve” pictures someone who stays awake at night to keep others safe and secure. Many of us who are parents of teenagers have placed devices in their car to see where they are at all times. Though I cannot be everywhere all the time, I want to watch over my children to ensure they are safe and acting wisely. This is the idea found in verse one – it’s the idea of “God, watch over me.”

But David is not asking God to simply protect during a difficult battle or even through scary event… … no David’s prayer for safety is much bigger than this. For David is expecting God to keep him safe even through death: “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption” (Psalm 16:10). In other words, “I turn to you for safety above all other ways of being safe. You are my safest refuge.” You need to have David’s confidence in God: “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8).