All of us have had to face times of fear in our lives. Sometimes we are afraid for good reason, and other times our fears are irrational.

I read the story of a little boy who was finally old enough to start going to school. As the time approached, his parents noticed that he was suddenly having fears about school. They tried to find out what he was afraid of. First they asked if he were afraid of the teachers, but he assured them that wasn’t it. Next they asked if it were a fear of bullies, but he told them it wasn’t that either. Then they asked him if he didn’t want to leave his Mom and younger brother home alone all day. But he assured them this was not the case. Finally he admitted the reasons for his fear. He told them, "I don’t want to go to school because I don’t want the same thing to happen to me that happened to cousin Raymond. As soon as he started school, all his teeth began to fall out!"

Our fears may not be that simple, but whenever we are afraid, we can turn to the Bible for the answer to our fears. God caused David to write Psalm 27 which addresses this problem. Although we may be facing a difficult situation in our life, we can learn from this psalm what to do when we are afraid.

This psalm begins with two questions – whom shall I fear and of whom shall I be afraid. And David gives us three reasons to not be afraid. He tells us that the Lord is our light, our salvation, and the stronghold of our life. These are all good reasons for us not to be frightened. Let’s examine each one.

Light – Fear usually comes from facing the unknown and feeling surrounded by darkness. God sends his light to penetrate the darkness. His light shines wisdom and understanding in our heart so that we can see God’s power over our problems and we can trust in God’s care for us.

Salvation – We have been saved from the power of sin. God’s protecting hand is upon us to keep us from harm and to deliver us from danger. Because we are in God’s hands we have no reason to be afraid.

Even though fears may come, let us remember that God is our light, our salvation, and our stronghold. He will give us spiritual strength to overcome our panic. He will give light to our mind, give deliverance to our spirit, and give strength to our body. So why should we be afraid?

Many commentators think David in this verse is recalling past victories when God delivered him from evildoers. When we are faced with a frightening situation, it is good to remember those times before when God has delivered us. We can overcome our anguish because we have seen God’s hand upon us in the past.

When facing fear, sometimes we need to ask what’s the worst thing that could happen to us. Some of the answers might be – I would be incapacitated with sickness, I would be in jail, I would go bankrupt, or I would die. If you’re sick, God is with you, if you’re in jail, God is still with you, if you go bankrupt, God will still be with you, and if you die, you are with God!

Next time you are facing fear, try this mental exercise. Instead of thinking about all the bad things that might happen and focusing on the situation which is causing your uneasiness, think about all the times God has been with you in your life – all those times God has rescued you, healed you, strengthened you, and been there for you. As you think of all those past deliverances, the present situation will seem to diminish in importance.

The next thing that David does to overcome his fears is to speak in faith. As we read through this psalm, we see clear indications that David’s fear was real. It was there facing him in the face. But instead of allowing terror to overwhelm him, he forced himself to make these statements of trust – "my heart shall not fear" and "yet I will be confident." This does not mean that David didn’t feel some dread in his heart nor that there weren’t moments of doubt as we can see from verses 7, 9, and 12. But it does mean that he was willing to trust in God and discipline his thoughts to not abandon his faith in the face of calamity.

Spurgeon remarks, "Though battle should succeed battle, and one campaign should be followed by another, the believer will not be dismayed at the length of the conflict. Reader, this third verse is the comfortable and logical inference from the second, confidence is the child of experience. Have you been delivered out of great perils? Then set up your ensign, wait at your watch-fire, and let the enemy do his worst."

The psalmist now focuses on the most important thing to overcome fear. He says there is one thing. One thing that is more important than anything else in combatting fear and confusion. That one thing is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our life. When we spend time in church and are faithful in attendance, our spirit is nurtured, our faith is strengthened, and our confusion is calmed. The importance of church attendance cannot be overstated. If you are constantly in dread, make a commitment to spend time in God’s house. David wanted to spend time in God’s house to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. This is good for us to do also.

In 1917 former president Theodore Roosevelt wrote in the Ladies’ Home Journal, "...on Sundays go to church. Yes – I know all the excuses; I know that one can worship the Creator and dedicate oneself to good living in a grove of trees or by a running brook or in one’s own house just as well as in a church, but I also know that as a matter of cold fact, the average man does not worship or thus dedicate himself. If he stays away from church he does not spend his time in good works or in lofty meditation.... He may not hear a good sermon at church, but unless he is very unfortunate he will hear a sermon by a good man. Besides, even if he does not hear a good sermon, the probabilities are that he will listen to and take part in reading some beautiful passages from the Bible...."

Here is what God will do for us in the day of trouble. He will hide us in his shelter, he will cover us in his tabernacle, and he will set us high upon a rock. Let us look at each of these.

Hide us in his shelter – The Hebrew word for shelter indicated a place of protection anywhere. It could have been a thicket in the forest, a safe place in the hills, or a fortification built by the army. Wherever we are, God will provide a shelter for us against adversity.

Cover us in his tabernacle – The tent of the tabernacle was God’s meeting place with the Jews. As we spend time in church looking for answers, God will cover us and keep us safe. He will soothe our spirit and calm our anxiety.

Set us high upon the rock – In David’s day the high ground was essential for protection. Most cities and fortresses were built on a height, and a high rock or hill was viewed as a place of safety. When we are facing distress, God will lift us up to a place of safety.

So when we are facing a difficult time, let us remember that God will protect us and keep us. We may be too weak to overcome the enemy, but God is the one who hides us, who covers us, and who lifts us to safety. As Stuhlmueller points out, "...the presence of the Lord...does not depend upon the faith of the psalmist; rather, this faith depends upon the Lord’s presence...."

Another way to overcome fear is to sing and make melody to the Lord. In fact the Hebrew word for "make melody" is also used for playing a musical instrument. As we sing from our heart or we play a musical instrument or we listen to Christian music, we find our spirit being lifted up. We find our faith increasing and our distress diminishing. As we do this we may be like David and want to shout with joy.

The Hebrew construction of this verse presents problems for the translator. Literally, it means "To you says my heart, seek my face. To your face Lord I will seek." Almost every translator has added a word or two to try to make sense of it. Many modern translations follow the suggested emendation in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia of changing the suffix from "my" to "his." For example, the New International Version reads, "My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek." But the meaning is clear enough – we need to seek God’s face.

God had told David to seek his face. God tells us the same thing in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness...." Notice that God told David to seek his face and immediately he responded, "your face Lord do I seek." When we are facing trouble, let us be like David and immediately seek God’s face. Let us go to him in faith. Let us listen to his voice, hear his comfort, and obey his instructions.

David expresses the fear that all have forsaken him and he doesn’t want God to also desert him. Many times we feel this way. It seems that everyone has abandoned us. We feel all alone facing our troubles and we become so overwhelmed by dread that we wonder if God has also given up on us. As David faces these feelings of being abandoned, he reminds himself that God has been his help in the past, and that the Lord is the God of his salvation. As he thinks of these things, he can they say in faith, "the Lord will take me up." He may not have been feeling like the Lord would take him up and protect him, but he said it anyway, in faith. We may not feel like God is there for us. We may feel alone and abandoned by God. But let us not base our faith on our feelings. I read this little saying which is so appropriate, "Hopeless situations are reminders that we are helpless without God."

Another key to overcoming fear is a willingness to be taught. The psalmist says, "teach me your way, O Lord." Is this your attitude? Are you willing to learn from God? Sometimes we have to learn new thinking patterns, we have to be instructed by God’s spirit in how not to react in panic. But we can only make progress if we are a willing student. If we insist on responding to turmoil the same way every time, we may spend years crippled by fear. We need be willing to learn a new way to respond to problems. Let us be good students and allow God to teach us.

Spurgeon comments, "Help is here sought as well as direction; we not only need a map of the way, but a guide to assist us in the journey."

David was facing a real crisis. There were those who were after him and apparently his life was in danger. He had good cause to be afraid. And yet he had faith that God would keep him even through this present misfortune. What are you facing? Is your life in danger? Have people risen against you? Are they lying about you? Are they ready to do violence to you? If so, it is no more than what David had to face. As he was willing to reach out to God in faith, so let us also reach out in faith. God will be with us to protect us and deliver us.

To wrap us his teaching on what to do when we are afraid, the psalmist gives us three instructions – wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage. I think this is a progression of what happens when we wait on God for the answer. As we spend time in prayer, we find our strength increasing. Our faith rises, and then we can take courage and get a grip on our fears. But it all starts with us waiting on God.

In both the English and the Hebrew the identical phrase "wait for the Lord" is repeated. Whenever this occurs in Hebrew poetry, it is done for emphasis. God wants us to learn this important lesson and he wants to emphasize it to us – wait for the Lord. He will deliver us!