Fear of the Lord (Session 8)

Review:

Fear of Man…

Fear of Circumstance and Future… (2 weeks)

"Isn't it wonderful?" said Lucy. "Have you noticed one can't feel afraid, even if one wants to? Try it."

So, what's C.S. Lewis saying? He's saying that we all live with certain insecurities and this lack of safety.

Fear…

Fear is a universal problem, it has become part of the human fabric.

Knowing is half the battle…

Now, given that, here's what else that you know, that we can grow, that we can indeed grow in how we handle our fears as we grow in our faith.

You might as well face it, your life is going to be full of fears!

But until then, we might as well face it, the entirety of your life will be battle to progressively gain the upper hand against your fears.

It will be a daily struggle, battle, wrestling match, but your practice will eventually lead to your perfection when you See Him Face to Face, but not before.

So if this is going to be a life long battle, how are you going to have the strength and endurance necessary to make it to the end?

Know that fears are common and coming.

We know that they are coming. (God told us the truth…so reassuring as odd as this sound. Momma said there’d be days like this. The consolation is that “momma knew enough” to warn in advance.

Fiery trials as if something strange were happening to you! (1 Pet).

2. Fight them one day at a time,

3. knowing that you are not forsaken.

Fears are common and they keep coming back.

Psalm 56:1–2 ESV

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; 2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.

What did David have going on?

1 - look at his real problems…trampled on and oppressed by an attacker.

2 enemies trample (panted after - people are breathing down his neck).

squeezing, choking me out, crushing me

(Gasp, pant to be a nuisance)

the idea is that he is being pursued) - not trampled...

(and look at the extent - all day long) - he is on the run.

2 - not just one enemy (many attack)

and they are doing so “proudly” - they think they are doing a good job at what they are supposed to be doing. In their mind they are not doing something condemnable, they are doing something commendable!

When someone is that blind, that they do something awful and call it good, there is a really good chance that they aren’t going to stop doing that which is awful.

So there is no end in sight for David.

We can feel like that. - So what did He do?

Well He asked for grace right off the bat.

God, give me grace.

Psalm 56:3–4 ESV

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

He admits that He is “afraid.” He isn’t hiding it. I am afraid.

Admit that you are afraid.

He doesn’t cower in his fear, he is active in it. He fights and faces his fear, by turning his face toward God and what God has said.

He says he puts His “trust” in God (knows something of His character and capabilities) and God’s Word. (Okay what does God say about this and that???)

The centrality of knowing and believing the truth presented is this book is essential.

Don’t run from God, turn toward Him, putting your trust in Him and His Word.

Fall on your face before Him. (Have thine own way).

So we think, ok David that is great. You got over your fear. You fought your fear with faith. End of story? No!

The fear comes right back. (The heat gets turned up a bit).

They keep coming back.

Psalm 56:5–7 ESV

5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. 7 For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

injure my cause (twisting my words (KING) / plotting evil / stirring up strife / lurk / watching my steps.

What happened between the period of verse 4 and the first word of verse 5? Nothing! I think David is just remembering what he was up against! I don’t think anything had necessary changed. He just remembered, “Oh ya…I got some people after me and that makes me scared and afraid.

That is just the nature of (worry, fear and anxiety). It is relentless and incessant.

Worry, fear and anxiety are relentless and incessant.

You might land some pretty damaging body blows and snap their head back with a strong uppercut, but they just don’t seem to be down for the count for long.

The battle can be a highly emotional experience.

Psalm 56:8–11 ESV

8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? 9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

(My tossings) - sleepless nights (wanderings - been here, there, and everywhere and getting no where all at once.)

And while I am on my way to no where I am crying a lot.

David is aware that God is aware of his fears and sorrows. In fact every tear is accounted for. This one, that one and all of them.

And even more, God had prior knowledge of them as they have been part of His plan all along. They were in His book.

God is the author of the book of our lives.

9 - God is for me…they will turn back (When I call - we need to call).

Romans 8:31 (ESV)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

What we see is that, almost in defiance of His emotional state, David exercises faith.

10-11 - repeat what he already said (I will endure fear on my way to glory.)

But there is a subtle nuance that is critically important to see.

First time (4) - we see this it is… God / God (Elohim)

Psalm 56:4 ESV

4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 56:10–11 (ESV)

10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Here it is God / Yahweh / God)

Personal name for God - God with us / Emmanuel

I wonder if Jesus had anything to say about worry, fear or anxiety? (Oh boy!)

Psalm 56:12–13 ESV

12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. 13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

David now demonstrate his confidence that God will deliver him by getting on with all that he is supposed to do.

Perform my vows… (do what i am to do regardless of cost).

I will do what I know God wants me to do regardless of how I feel.

And I will be “thankful” - God can use our natural tendency to fear as a means of causing us to run to Him. It can be that way really for any temptation or sin or fear.

Look to your past ultimate deliverance, to empower your present pursuit of God.

13 - delivered my soul…what about my physical troubles?

at the beginning enemies were threatening to trample him in the end, David is walking before God un trampled in the light of life.

Fear can drive you to the Lord. Don’t feel guilting for having fear and don’t fight it on your own.

There are endless threats to our safety. (Look at Jesus – learned obedience through that which he suffered. – take heart I have overcome the world.)

What can man do to me? - Apparently, the enemy can do quite a bit…look at the subtitle of the Psalm! (seized)

But God has not forgotten David.

Ultimate enemy is death…and that has been defeated (1 Corinthians 15:54-58).

Look for those mini-deliverances from fear or actual threats and anticipate the ultimate deliverance when Jesus comes back to administrate true justice (Romans 12:19).

V. 12-13 – Knowing that your SOUL has been delivered, live appropriately now (vows, thanks, walking).

One foot in front of the other and walk.

Know that fears are common and coming.

We know that they are coming. (God told us the truth…so reassuring as odd as this sound. Momma said there’d be days like this. The consolation is that “momma knew enough” to warn in advance.

Fiery trials as if something strange were happening to you! (1 Pet).

2. Fight them one day at a time,

3. knowing that you are not forsaken.

Discussion Questions:

1. What was eye opening, encouraging or discouraging about today’s lesson?

2. Personal Reflection - What fearful situation do you feel like is trying to chase you down and trample you? What will it look like for you to fight that fear?