When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
(Psalm 56:3–4 NIV)
There’s something beautifully honest about how David starts this psalm: “When I am afraid.” Not if I’m afraid. When. David doesn’t pretend that fear isn’t real. He’s running from King Saul, hiding from his enemies, and probably wondering if he’ll make it through the night. But right in the middle of his fear, he chooses to trust.
The Hebrew here is batach (בָּטח), pronounced baw-TAKH. It’s often translated “trust” or “rely on”, but it carries far more weight than our English words usually suggest. Batach means to place your full weight on something. Imagine being completely worn out, spotting a solid wall, and letting yourself fall against it without holding anything back. That’s batach. It’s not a tentative half-committed trust. It’s an all-in, no-backup-plan kind of trust.
Notice that David doesn’t say, “I will trust after God removes my fear.” He says, “When I am afraid, I trust.” He’s afraid and leaning on God at the exact same time. Fear and trust can coexist. You can be terrified and still throw your full weight on God. In fact, that may be when batach matters most, when you’re scared out of your mind and you lean anyway.
Notice also what David is trusting in. Not in his circumstances improving. Not in his own ability to figure things out. He trusts in what God has said to him – God’s promises, His character, His track record of faithfulness. When everything else feels unstable, God’s word is the one solid thing he can count on.
And then he says, “What can mere mortals do to me?” David isn’t in denial. He knows exactly what people can do to him. They can hunt him down, hurt him, maybe even kill him. But when your full weight is leaning on the eternal God, the worst that people can do loses its ultimate power. It’s still painful, still scary, but it’s not final.
So, what does this look like on a Monday morning when you’re worried about money, or relationships, or that medical test, or whether you’ve made a complete mess of your life? It looks like what David did: acknowledge the fear, remember what God has said, and make the choice to lean, fully lean, on the only one who is strong enough to hold you up.
Trust isn’t the absence of fear. It’s what you do with your fear when it shows up. And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit you’re scared and lean hard against God anyway.
Prayer: Father, I bring to you all my fears about the things I can’t control and the future I can’t see. When my knees are shaking and my heart is racing, help me to trust you. Remind me that you are my solid ground and you’re more than strong enough to carry my full weight. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day