Read Psalm 56.
Whenever my son knows he’s gotten in trouble he runs away from me. He instinctively flees punishment or any type of correction that goes against what he feels in that moment. Of course, he’s two, so this behavior isn’t exactly surprising even if it’s maddening as a young parent. On the other hand, whenever he is scared, he runs right into my arms. It could be a scary part of a movie, a sudden loud noise or an unfamiliar crowd but he will either run to find me immediately or sink farther into my arms if he is already next to me. He feels safe resting in his Father’s arms despite whatever calamity he may be feeling or experiencing.
When we read Psalm 56, we find David in lament of his current life situation. His enemies pursue him (v2) and the scheme for David’s ruin (v5). David even expresses that his enemies watch his steps hoping to take his life (v6). I honestly cannot imagine the fear, stress, and anxiety that were weighing over David as he wrote this Psalm. I cannot relate to feeling like people are scheming to take my life, but I can empathize with feeling like life is collapsing around you. The feeling where you feel like everything is going wrong or forces are literally working against you. It’s a suffocating feeling that makes us fearful for what’s to come consumes our thoughts. Depending on your personality your response can range from shutting down or to hulk up in rage and anger.
However, as you read along in the Psalm, you realize that while David wishes for justice against his enemies, he also trusts in God and can worship long before he gets to see that justice or have his circumstances changed. In verse three David says he will trust in God when is afraid. Twice he says that in God he trusts and what can men (or mortals) do to him if he is with God? David’s confidence in who God is and David’s identity before God gives him the confidence to make it through these difficult times, to be steady in the fear, and to worship God in the midst of the struggle. David is wrapping himself up in the arms of his Father and finds the protection, security and comfort his circumstances cannot provide.
How do you respond to fear, to stress, to turmoil in life? Take a second to pause and think about that question for a minute (Pause now…..no more reading).
The majority of our lives aren’t lived in the fear of life collapsing, but they are lived in the midst of stress, anxiety, and frustration. When those feelings begin to mount do we rely on our personalities' instinctive response, our own strength, or can we find rest in our Father? Can we embraced the security of who God is and who we are in God first, so that we may work through the trials presented, giving them the energy they deserve instead of our every waking thought? I know this is something I need to continue to work on and want to encourage us to pursue this practice collectively. May our Church family continue to learn to turn to God in both trial and blessing, for God and his promises do not change and can be trusted in every moment of our lives. We can run into our Father’s arms and find that security in God when life makes us feel so far from it and respond in worship!
-- Billy Dechert