Verse: I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

Background: Life is full of challenges and the world is becoming more and more an unsafe place to live in. When we face tough situations, that make us fearful, what should we do? Let us look at David when he faced one of his toughest situations and when he was fearful.

This was a situation in the life of David where he had just discovered with certainty Saul’s murderous intentions for him. So, he decided to flee to Gath and came before the king of Gath named Achish – Abimelech was the title for Philistine kings.

But when David discovered that the servants of Achish had identified him and might kill David, he decided to pretend to be insane. The trick worked and he was allowed to leave. Psalm title says David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

Those events are recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-22:1. Following that, David went to the cave at Adullam where many desperate men joined him. This joyful and wise psalm seems to have been written from that cave and sung in the presence of those men.

Lesson: When we are fearful, what is the right thing to do? – We know the answer is to seek the Lord, Having said that situations can make us fearful, but do we fear the Lord? Do we really think of the Lord in every step of life, David in this Psalm had only one reference to his fear of situation, but he had four references of fear of the Lord

1. Protection: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them.” Psalm 34:7. Are we worried about our protection, or do we fear the great I AM
2. Provision: “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, or those who fear him have no lack!” Psalm 34:9. For a true disciple the sign of growth is their fear of the Almighty increases as they grow in the Lord
3. Practice: “Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” Psalm 34:11. Life is so busy, unless we are intentional about meditating and going to the presence of the Lord frequently, we will never learn to fear the Lord, and we need to teach others to fear the Lord