God Is With You: Dealing With Fear, Discouragement and AnxietySample

WE WILL SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD

Being aware of our surroundings is needed to protect and prepare ourselves, yet we need not be immersed in all that is happening and being said. We need to fight for our focus.  Our response to our current circumstance depends on what we are focused on. It determines whether we will be in faith or in fear. 

In Psalms 27, we see David in the midst of a challenging situation—clear and present danger. But right in the midst of it all, he declares, “The Lord is my Light and my salvation whom shall I fear? … of whom or what shall I be afraid of?” 

We don’t see David praying away his fear or rebuking it. Rather he chose to fight for his focus and put his focus where it matters. In verse 4 he says “ONE THING I ask of the Lord, THIS ONLY DO I SEEK, … TO GAZE on the beauty of the Lord and SEEK HIM in His temple.” These words in bold are words synonymous with FOCUS. David does not fear because he chose not to focus on what’s raging around him. He rebuked fear by intentionally devoting his attention to God’s goodness and faithfulness!

As a result, you see something beautiful happen in verse 6. He says “… at his sacred tent, I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.” David begins to Worship!!! He began to worship in the midst of his battle because worship is an inevitable response to focusing on God.

Worship opens heaven. When heaven is open, we get access to God’s intentions and plans for us. That is why in verse 13, David says “I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Through worship, David saw that even in the midst of a disheartening season, God had “plans to prosper him and give him a good future” (Jer. 29:11).

Life Application

In this season how can I be mindful of what I hear? How I hear?  How much I hear?

Prayer

Lord, today I pray that you would captivate me above all else and as a result, all my fears may fade away. Thank you for giving me a glimpse of the good plans you have for me, my family, and my country, so I may stand in faith.