“Fear not” is a common command in the Bible although it does NOT occur 365 times as some allege. Sounds good: “One for each day in the year,” but someone made that up. (Isn’t that called lying?) Anyway, it’s a common theme that if we trust God, we need not be afraid.

It’s the theme of Psalm 56 where once again, David is in a tight spot:

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David When the Philistines Captured Him in Gath. (Psalm 56, Introduction, NKJV)

And, as always, David resorts to prayer:

Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me. My enemies would hound me all day, For there are many who fight against me, O Most High. (Psalm 56.1, 2, NKJV)

And then the theme. What to do when we’re in a tight spot and afraid?

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? (Psalm 56.3 – 4, NKJV)

A good word. “I will not fear.” I wrote about that from Psalm 46 recently.

It repeats…don’t miss it!

…This I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 56.9 – 11, NKJV)

Can life be lived that way? YES! It’s worthwhile to review what I quoted from the Russian democracy advocate Alexei Navalny:

Are you a disciple of the religion whose founder sacrificed himself for others, paying the price for their sins? Do you believe in the immortality of the soul and the rest of that cool stuff? If you can honestly answer yes, what is there left for you to worry about?