Another great week in the Psalms series at OKC Community. This week Kaleb taught on Psalm 56. This is the prequel to Psalm 34, written before David is delivered from the king. It’s again a very human response to a perilous situation. David admits to fear and anxiety and his only hope is a power higher than the kings. Kaleb delivered one of the most honest teachings I’ve heard on the Christian experience of fear and anxiety. You can (and should) listen to it here. This is written from that perspective.
Psalm 56
My enemies are not armies or kings or mercenaries
My enemies are my thoughts
They begin simply as a long plane ride
Or a tingle on my scalp
Or an unanswered question
Or a little bit of heartburn
Or a basic misunderstanding
Or an offhanded comment
Or a pain in my stomach
And then they grow into something else
They tell me, “There is no fear in God”
Then why am I so afraid
My mind works both for and against me
The small concerns can quickly be put on a turntable
They repeat
And with each repetition
They grow and morph into something that’s bigger than me
They tell me, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”
Then why can’t I manage
(And side note) why are we assuming that God is giving me this in the first place
I know that my fear has a weak base
I know that my stress is half reality and half self inflicted
I can name my anxiety
I can see it for what it is
But a name doesn’t make it less scary
A rational approach may trim the limbs
But it does nothing to the roots
They say, “Have faith”
I do
They say, “Hope”
I try
They say, “Pray”
What do you think I’ve been doing?
And in the midst of this I am provided for
Through the fog I spy positives that my enemies try and choke out
There are friends in the cave
There is encouragement in the dark
There is a mirror to look behind
And a compass to guide me forward
I find respite in knowing where these come from
They say, “See! God fixed it. You’re better forever”
Don’t make it sound easy
Don’t reduce God down to someone that operates on magic
My human experience is complicated
And deliverance (if and when it comes) is complex
I have hope for my future because
I have a history of being blessed, redeemed, and taken care of
Without that I’d be lost in the cave
Don’t downplay what faith I do have
By telling me to manifest more
I give thanks for my history
I put faith in His ability
I wrestle with my current situation
And I find hope in the middle of it all
Isaiah Werner 