Fear or Faith // Psalm 56:3

What do you do when you feel afraid? Some people withdraw. Some display traits akin to anger. Do you go somewhere, talk to someone, or hide? Fear is a natural human response, but we all deal with it differently. Psychologists have categorized three basic reactions to fear that essentially operate as umbrella terms for our varied behavior. We tend to fight, flee, or freeze when we encounter scary stimuli.

Did you know that fear and faith are processed in the same place in the brain? That means we get to choose how we respond to scary things — either with fear or faith. Today’s verse from Psalm 56 tells what King David chose to do when he was afraid…he turned to God. What’s pretty cool if you read Psalm 56 in it’s entirety is you’ll see that David used past, present, and future verb tenses. He remembered how God showed up for him in the past, was showing out for him in the present, and promised to be there with him into the future. His prayer sought to connect God’s presence with him past, present, and future for the times he was led to fight, flee, or freeze. I don’t think it’s a coincidence we see this revealed in threes, for even the Lord shows up and shows out for us in a connected relationship of three in the Holy Trinity (God as Father/Creator, Son/Redeemer, Spirit/Sustainer).

If you have something scary on your horizon for today, know God is with you, just as He was in the past and promises to be in the future. Choose to act in faith when you feel afraid and turn to God. Do that and know you have nothing to fear with God!