Psalm 27

I'm not afraid of the dark or monsters or bogeymen or cockroaches.

But I am afraid of things like failure and financial problems and illness.

So, I have a problem with fear. I really want to be fearless, I want to be bold and not at all anxiety plagued, but lately it seems that I am totally besieged with worries. The crazy thing is, most of my fears are over things I can't control, so what's the point of stressing? More to the point, who can help me overcome these fears?

The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

It seems so simple, doesn't it? Just trust in God and all will be well. He'll build a fort- a Helm's Deep, if you will- around us and nothing will get us. But wait- that implies that God comes to us. Read on with the psalmist:

One thing I ask from the LORD,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

No, if we desire shelter from our fears, we must go to Him, and set up residence in His presence. Perhaps we become inundated with fears and worries when we stray too far from Him, following our own desires instead of His. Only when we recognize how vulnerable we are to the attacking hordes do we long again for the safety and protection of His stronghold- which we left because we wanted 'freedom.' Or because we felt that we were tired of waiting on God while in His presence. You know, the whole: "I'm doing God's will, why haven't I been blessed yet?"

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

If we want His protection and His blessing, we must live by His timetable. It's why patience is a virtue. If we want to be fearless, it doesn't mean learning total independence and conquering fears on our own.

Quite the opposite, it means being wholly dependent on God and His protection.