The psalms are some of my favorite chapters in the Bible. God shows his perfection, strength, and peace through an imperfect man that is going through difficult circumstances in life. Whether David is battling fear of other people, fear of the future, lack of peace day and night, and even anger, we are shown in the Psalms how to deal with these emotions.
Feelings of fear, anger, shame, disappointment, questioning, and sadness are expressed- but the book of Psalms also shows feelings of peace, love, joy, self-control, and faithfulness.
The verses below are a few of my go-to ones that I read when I don't know how to get through my day.
Psalm 34:4, "I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears."
This verse is amazing, because God listens to us when we seek him. He doesn't boast about how He is too good for us- he listens and answers us. He could ignore us, but He listens, answers, and delivers us from our fears when we seek Him.
I've been through fearful times in my life and sought the Lord, hearing a "yes" from Him, and I've also sought the Lord while I was afraid and heard a "no" from Him. Sometimes, we don't always feel ok about how some things are answered and delivered at first and that's ok. It's important to confess that we won't always be ok, but the Lord will always be our deliverer.
No matter how God answers and delivers you from your fears- know that He is there for you, He listens to you, and He knows how to deliver you from your fears in the best way possible.
This chapter goes on in the next three verses to say this:
"Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all of his troubles. The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them." -Psalm 34:4-7
Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
To be still means to stop worrying about controlling a situation and to stop striving on your own for it. It's giving God that control and surrendering it to Him that shows Him that you're being still.
In those moments of being still, we should also recognize and remember God for who He really is. He's not just someone in the clouds watching you-He is your father, and He wants to help you. He can see every outcome in your season and the seasons to come, and if we give our striving to Him, He will guide us in the right direction.
Be still and know that He is God today even in the midst of the fear, the anxiety, and the uncertainty and watch Him work in your life.
Psalm 3:5-6, "I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around."
This verse has two very important applications to it. The first is that as Christians we should have faith that the Lord sustains us and gives us peace to rest every day no matter what is going on. It's only been through God's peace that surpasses all understanding that I've been able to rest on nights where I'm scared, upset, or angry. Have faith that you will go to bed tonight knowing that God will give you the peace and rest you need to be sustained.
I used to think that if I worried about the future situation for hours before I fell asleep that I would find the best solution to my problem, but God has lovingly shown me that I'm acting like Martha in the Bible when I'm doing that. Martha was filled with fear and did dozens of things around her to make the situation seem better, or at least in her eyes, and Jesus told her that being in His presence was better than worrying and striving to make everything better on her own (Luke 10:38-42).
The second application from this passage is that God is our protector at all times of the day. Not only does He sustain us, but He protects us from harm. We don't have to be afraid of people or things around us because of God. When I'm walking across a parking lot alone and I feel scared, I remember that even against a thousand people the Lord would protect me. What an amazing truth.
Psalm 62:5-6, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God, my hope comes from him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation, He is my fortress, I will not be shaken."
This passage tells us that God is our:
Rest
Source of hope
Rock
Salvation
Fortress
When I remind myself through reading this that God is my rest, my source of hope, my rock, my salvation, and my fortress (and so much more), it gives me peace because I am protected by Him.
The Lord loves you so much that He wants to protect you today, and in the days to come. He wants you to not worry about the days to come or the days past; He wants you to remember that you can face today with God on your side.
If there's an area of your life that needs more peace- in your friendships, your family life, your workplace, or your mind- you can receive peace from God if you seek Him.
The Lord already knows what is to come in the future, so trusting that He can guide you throughout today will give you peace.
One thing that I've learned about peace is that if I accept the worry instead of surrendering to the Lord and trusting that He will give me peace, I won't have peace. Jesus isn't mad at you for being afraid, but He has the cure to your fear and is willing to give it to you. Jesus tells us that we can't add a single hour to our lives by worrying (Matthew 6:27).
The source of our peace is God, not obtaining peace on our own or trying to make ourselves look like we're not afraid.
Psalm 112: 7-8, “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.”
Maybe today you're afraid of receiving some bad news. Maybe the uncertainty about diagnosis, a call, or a sudden loss is overflowing your mind right now. The Lord sees that, and wrote this verse for you.
The first sentence says that David trusts in the Lord after he states that he isn't afraid of bad news and that his heart is firm- but it's trusting in the Lord that takes the fear away and makes your heart firm. When we are fearing bad news, and our hearts feel the opposite of firm and we don't know what to do, we trust in the Lord.
No matter what happens, the Lord will hold you and you will not be afraid of bad news. Your heart will be firm. Your heart will be steady if you trust in the Lord.
Maybe today, you are facing some adversity either from someone or something. Maybe you've just heard bad news. If you trust in the Lord, he will sustain you. You can't do it on your own, but you can do all things through which Christ strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Give the adversity and the bad news to Him- He never loses a battle and He will fight for you.
The wisdom that these Psalms all have in common is that you can't find peace on your own or with anything in the world. It is only the Lord that provides peace to you, and He is more than willing to give it to you.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post! For the person needing prayer right now, let me pray for you:
Dear Lord,
I don't know the person reading this on their screen, but you do. I don't know what they've been through and what they're going through, but you do. You know their heart and you know that they are afraid. You know that they are tired, and are looking for peace right now. You know that they've tried so hard to obtain it, and you want them to know that all they have to do is seek you and trust you. Help them to know that you are there and you will never leave them.
I pray for your peace over them that surpasses all understanding. I ask that you would comfort them in their exact situation right now Lord. I ask that you show them just how much you love them.
In Jesus name I pray, amen.
Thank you for reading! For more content on God, scroll down to read more! All glory to Jesus <3
- Lauren