"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4)
Fear often finds us in this unpredictable, broken world. It chases us down and demands our attention. When fear resides in our heart, it's hard to see anything beyond it. Fear narrows our vision and, if we let it, fear controls us.
Yet, fear is necessary. It reminds us we're frail and limited. We can't control most things in this life and many things are dangerous. Fear teaches us that we cannot navigate this world on our own—that we need help beyond ourselves.
In Psalm 56, the author beautifully models a faithful response to fear. Instead of locking in on circumstances, the psalmist turns his attention to the Lord. He lets fear prompt him to look beyond what he can see and trust that God can handle what's ahead. The psalmist refuses to let fear control him, because he knows that nothing he'll face is greater than God in whom he trusts.
We're shaped by what grabs our attention. It forms our understanding of the world and frames what we believe is possible. This is why much of counseling is addressing where our clients place their focus and attention.
May we, like the psalmist, regularly look beyond our circumstances to the One who has set our days. May we help our clients see that the God of the universe is present with them in their fear, and—in light of His great love and power—we have no reason to be afraid.
