Not Afraid to be Afraid

Psalms 56:3-4 (NIV)

³When I am afraid,

I will trust in you.

⁴In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I will not be afraid.

What can mortal man do to me?

This passage begins with being afraid.  But it ends with not being afraid.
Why wouldn't David be afraid?  He was being pursued by men who were attacking him, who wanted him dead.  All day long they were pursuing him.  And they weren't going to stop - why?  Because of their pride.
Psalms 56:1-2 (NIV)
¹

Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;

all day long they press their attack.

²My slanderers pursue me all day long;

many are attacking me in their pride.

So David cries out..."when I am afraid...".
There are some Christians who are ashamed to admit that they are afraid.  When going through trials, feeling anxious, when someone asks them how they are their usual answer is "I'm ok", or "God is good".
But did you notice David...he wasn't afraid to say that he was afraid!
I don't think there is any human being who does not encounter a situation where he becomes afraid...even for just a few seconds.  It may be temporary, but we do experience some sort of fear.
But where should that fear lead us?

David said "When I am afraid I WILL TRUST IN YOU"
The fear of David concerning those who were pursuing him quickly turned out to be a situation where he could express his trust in God!
It's normal and human to be afraid.  But we are not supposed to stay afraid.  When we are afraid we are to trust in God.
What about God should we trust?  In God WHOSE WORD I PRAISE.
God has given us his Word, His promises.  This is what David trusted in - the word of the Lord, His promises to him as King of Israel, and as God's child.

This now is what lead David to finally say "IN GOD I TRUST, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID"
That's when the fear was overcome - when David recalled, and believed, the promise of the Lord, His word for David.

We may begin by being afraid, but when we recall, embrace and believe the word God has for us, that fear is erased.  This is why it is so important for a Christian to be filled with the word of God, His promises for us. It is a never ending filling in our hearts, that we may overcome all fear in our hearts.

Do not be afraid to be afraid when it leads you to trust in God whose Word your praise!