When I Am Afraid, I Will Trust

Reflection

Our emotions and feelings are an interesting bunch. I have never asked for them, but they sure do like to hitch a ride sometimes and take over the wheel. Sometimes they can be beautiful. Happiness, joy, excitement, love, and gratitude can fill our hearts and make an ordinary day feel wonderful. But then there are the emotions we would rather not experience, and fear is certainly one of them.

Nobody wants to be afraid. There is a difference between simply being cautious and experiencing the kind of fear that makes you frightened. Yet sometimes Christians can feel as though being afraid means something is wrong with their faith. We may think, "If I really trusted God, I wouldn't be afraid." But that isn't what Scripture teaches us.

David did not write these words because he had no reason to be afraid. He had real trouble around him, real enemies, and real reasons to be concerned about what might happen to him. Yet notice what he says: "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." He did not say, "If I am afraid, I will know that I have failed God." He acknowledged the fear and then made a decision about where he would place his trust.

Acknowledging Fear Without Handing Over Control

That is comforting to me because sometimes we are going to be afraid. We may receive news that frightens us, face a situation we don't know how to handle, worry about someone we love, or find ourselves standing in circumstances that feel far beyond our control. Fear may show up without asking permission. But just because fear arrives does not mean we have to hand it the keys.

David gives us another glimpse of this in Psalm 34. He says, "I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Then in verse 6 he says, "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." David knew what it was like to have trouble surrounding him, yet he also knew where to turn.

There is something important in that distinction. Trusting God does not mean pretending the trouble isn't real. It doesn't mean putting on a smile and telling everyone that everything is wonderful when inside you are frightened. David cried out to God. He acknowledged his fear. He sought the Lord in the middle of it.

Experiencing fear does not mean you have lost your faith—it simply reveals where you need to place your trust.

The Example of Christ in Gethsemane

We see something similar in Jesus.

Before the cross, Jesus went into the garden of Gethsemane. The Gospels tell us that He was deeply troubled and sorrowful. Luke tells us that His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Jesus knew what was coming, and He did not pretend that the suffering before Him was insignificant.

Yet Jesus still surrendered Himself to the Father.

His anguish did not mean He had stopped trusting God. His sorrow did not mean He had lost faith. He brought His anguish before the Father and submitted Himself to His will.

That changes the way I think about fear.

Maybe the goal isn't to reach a place where we never feel afraid. Maybe the question is what we do when fear comes. Do we allow it to take control of our thoughts, our choices, and our responses, or do we bring it to God?

A Decision Made in the Middle of Uncertainty

"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."

Not after the fear disappears. Not when I finally understand what God is doing. Not when the situation becomes comfortable. When I am afraid.

That little word "when" means something to me. David didn't make a promise that he would never experience fear. He made a decision about what he would do when fear came.

We can do the same.

We can be afraid and still pray. We can be afraid and still obey God. We can be afraid and still believe His Word. We can be afraid and still cry out to Him. We can be afraid and still trust Him with what we cannot control.

Fear may hitch a ride—
But it doesn't have to take the wheel.

Before You Go

If fear has been riding with you lately, you don't have to be ashamed of it. You don't have to pretend that it isn't there, and you don't have to measure your faith by whether you feel afraid.

Bring it to Jesus.

Tell Him what frightens you. Tell Him what you don't understand. Tell Him what you are afraid might happen. You don't have to clean up your emotions before you come to Him.

David said, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." So when fear comes, let it become a reminder to turn toward the One who holds you.

You may not know what tomorrow will bring, but Jesus does. Keep your eyes on Him, keep bringing your fears to Him, and keep trusting Him one moment at a time.