“The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” (Psalm 27:1 NLT)

David was a shepherd, a musician, and a poet. When you think of the qualifications necessary for those occupations, courage probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet David showed remarkable courage. He killed a lion and a bear protecting his flock. He walked onto a battlefield to face the giant, heavily armored Philistine warrior Goliath, carrying nothing but a slingshot and a few rocks. He led King Saul’s army into countless battles.

At some point, though, fear replaced courage in David’s heart. First Samuel 21:10 says, “So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath” (NLT). Even though God had protected him again and again in high-risk situations, David chose to run away.

He may have been thinking, I liked it better when I was watching sheep. At least then I knew who my enemies were. He may have felt as though he were in over his head with all the political intrigue and royal scheming. We’re talking about a small-town boy here. He was probably still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was the anointed king of Israel. (And it wouldn’t be long before God dropped the bombshell that he also would be the ancestor of the Messiah!)

Whatever the reasons, David was gripped by fear, and that caused him to take his eyes off the Lord. In his panic, he ran to enemy territory, where the Philistine king recognized him immediately. First Samuel 21:12 says, “David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him” (NLT).

David escaped from Gath and hid in a cave called Adullam. And that’s where he wrote these words from Psalm 142: “I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me” (verses 1–4 NLT).

But then he shifts gears. “Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, ‘You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me’” (verses 5–7 NLT).

David understood that when the bottom drops out, you look up. You put your focus on God, and not on your problems. You give your fears to Him. That’s how to be a person after God’s own heart.

Maybe you are facing what seems like an impossible situation right now. You may not be able to see a way out. But God can. Call on Him. Then stand still and see what He will do.

Reflection question: What fears do you need to give to God?

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