Psalm 55: The Redemption of Fear

(1)

We are prone to ignoring our fears; to waving it away. We distract ourselves; we stay busy; we recite pious platitudes. Whenever we feel our hearts palpitating in fear we say to ourselves,

In the back of our minds we think that being afraid is a sign of weakness. And that fear itself is inherently sinful.

“I musn’t be afraid.”

“I shouldn’t be afraid.”

Nobody feels strong when they are afraid. In fact, we feel week. Nobody associates fear with faith. We approximate fear to be a close ally of doubt, not faith. Fear, we say, is inherently sinful.

A good test of our basic outlook on fear is to to straight to Gethsemane

What is your basic outlook on fear?

Perhaps this is why we question whether our Lord Jesus was ever afraid. We get defensive when someone attributes fear to our Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. We find it hard to accept that the simplest and most human explanation for Jesus’ action that night is sorrow and deep dread over his impending arrest, death, and the burden of the world’s sin on his soul.

We fail to see the telltale sign of sheer horror—feeling one is about to die and wanting loved ones to stay close by:

Matthew 26:38 NIV

38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

We spiritualize away the sheer horror Jesus feels when he sees not the Father’s face but His back, as he hangs dying on the cross. That he’s going to die and be separated from the Father he loves with all his being for the rest of eternity. Using the language of —a psalm steeped in the language of fear—Jesus cries out,

Mark 15:34 NIV

34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

(2)

So follow Jesus to the psalms. There we find something extraordinary. There, fear is openly acknowledged and wre with before God.

Psalm 55:1–8 NIV

1 Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; 2 hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught 3 because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger. 4 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. 5 Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. 6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. 7 I would flee far away and stay in the desert; 8 I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”

Psalm 55:1

Fear is not inherently sinful that must be avoided at all costs. Rather, fear offers opportunities unique in the life of faith.

Fear distorts our perception of reality. It turns reality on its head. It makes u feel weaker than we are. it makes our problems appear bigger and insurmountable than they actually are. More alarmingly, it makes God weaker than he actually is.

Fear makes us feel weaker than we really are. It makes our problems sem huge and unassailable. It makes God seem weak and uncaring in the face of our troubles.

Fear makes our problems sem huge and unassailable.

“Fear reverses reality by making evil seem all-conquering, and God impotent.” -The Cry of the Soul, 99.

Fear makes God seem uncaring, week, and impotent to help us in our times of trouble.

(3)