A Safe Place in Times of Fear

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”

Psalm 56:1–4

When David spoke of being afraid of his enemies, he was not speaking metaphorically. Throughout his life he faced people both within Israel and without who wanted him dead. At one point, when Saul was trying to kill him, David went so far as to flee to the Philistines for safety. Of course to them David was known as the man who killed their champion Goliath and had led the Israelites in battle against them. They viewed him with suspicion and many wanted to kill him. To protect his life, David pretended to be insane. “And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard” (1 Samuel 21:13).

It was during this time of desperation that David declared that any time he was afraid, He would trust God. Many times our response to difficulty and fear is to try to tough it out—to convince those around us that we are doing just fine, even though inwardly we may be trembling. The Bible encourages us not to put on a brave face but to cry out to a great God and trust Him for deliverance. David does not say that he will have no reason to fear. Rather he declares that when those fears come, He will look to the face of God and trust in Him. This is the pattern God wants us to follow in our lives.

Today's Growth Principle
When difficulty and troubles come, flee to the God who promises to protect and deliver us from evil.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 33-34

PSALM 33

¹ Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. ² Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. ³ Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. ⁴ For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. ⁵ He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. ⁶ By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. ⁷ He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. ⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. ⁹ For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. ¹⁰ The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. ¹¹ The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. ¹³ The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. ¹⁴ From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. ¹⁵ He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. ¹⁶ There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. ¹⁷ An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. ¹⁸ Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; ¹⁹ To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. ²⁰ Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. ²¹ For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. ²² Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

PSALM 34

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

¹ I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. ² My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. ³ O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. ⁴ I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. ⁵ They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. ⁶ This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. ⁷ The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. ⁸ O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. ⁹ O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. ¹⁰ The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

¹¹ Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. ¹² What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? ¹³ Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. ¹⁴ Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. ¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. ¹⁶ The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. ¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. ¹⁸ The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. ²⁰ He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. ²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. ²² The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

New Testament Reading

Acts 24

CHAPTER 24

¹ And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul. ² And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, ³ We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. ⁴ Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. ⁵ For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: ⁶ Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law. ⁷ But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, ⁸ Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him. ⁹ And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

¹⁰ Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: ¹¹ Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. ¹² And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: ¹³ Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. ¹⁴ But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: ¹⁵ And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. ¹⁶ And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. ¹⁷ Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. ¹⁸ Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult. ¹⁹ Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me. ²⁰ Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council, ²¹ Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

²² And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. ²³ And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. ²⁴ And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. ²⁵ And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. ²⁶ He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. ²⁷ But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 23

¹ When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: ² And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. ³ Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. ⁴ Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. ⁵ Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. ⁶ Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: ⁷ For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. ⁸ The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. ⁹ Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. ¹⁰ Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: ¹¹ For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee. ¹² Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. ¹³ Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. ¹⁴ Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. ¹⁵ My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. ¹⁶ Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. ¹⁷ Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. ¹⁸ For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. ¹⁹ Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. ²⁰ Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: ²¹ For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. ²² Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. ²³ Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. ²⁴ The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. ²⁵ Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. ²⁶ My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. ²⁷ For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. ²⁸ She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men. ²⁹ Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? ³⁰ They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. ³¹ Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. ³² At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. ³³ Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. ³⁴ Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. ³⁵ They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.