⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart celebrates,
and I give thanks to him with my song.

⁸ The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is a stronghold of salvation for his anointed.

Psalm 28:7-8 (CSB)

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Fear is a real thing and sometimes it can make you feel paralyzed. In this psalm, David is on the run from King Saul. If any one had reason to fear, it was David. There was a king with an army coming to find him and put him to death.

But he didn’t just hide under a rock and live in constant fear. He turned to God. He asked for God to hear his prayer “do not be deaf to me” (Ps 28:1) and “Listen to the sound of my pleading” (v. 2). The request wasn’t a single prayer, but it seems to reference more of a constant calling out to God, a desperation for His help.

He asks for God’s help, “Repay them according to what they have done” (v. 4) because of their “malice in their hearts” (v. 3). So David isn’t plotting to go after his enemies. He isn’t arranging a team of warriors to defend himself or to preempt an attack. He is trusting the Lord. He leaves it in God’s hands.

After praying, David hears from the Lord. His prayer is answered and his response is praise.

Are you facing something that is paralyzing you in fear? Pray and listen for God’s answer and his reassurance. One of my favorite verses in the bible is found in Philippians 4:

⁶ Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (CSB)