How Do I Live When I'm Fearful for the Future?
The key is to trust in God.
This past week, I shared on my Substack some fears I have about the future of AI, and what this might mean for everyday life.
In short, there is an above-zero percent chance that the sudden surge of AI could result in a catastrophic loss of life in the next decade. What percent? Some say ten, some say higher, but the growing consensus is that we're entering a new time of truly unprecedented (a word I almost took out of my dictionary during COVID) potential—both for good and for bad.
Fear can be elusive, and just when you think you've got a grip on fear, it seems to raise its ugly head once more. This theme shows up in the psalms. Chapter after chapter, various psalmists bring their fears to God, revealing that fear isn’t something we master. It’s a daily reality we must combat. This is where David is in Psalm 56.
When I am Afraid
This psalm was likely composed during a particularly vulnerable time when he was captured by the Philistines in Gath (as recounted in 1 Samuel 21:10-15), where David, fleeing from King Saul, sought refuge in Gath but found himself in danger from another king, Achish.
As Derek Kidner writes, “To have fled from Saul to Gath of all places, the home town of Goliath, took the courage of despair; it measured David’s estimate of his standing with his people.”[1]
Verse 1 says, “Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me; he fights and oppresses me all day long.” Gerald Wilson notes, “The enemy is depicted like a hound in full pursuit, snapping at the fleeing psalmist’s heels.”[2] Three times, the phrase “all day long” is used, indicating there is no letup from this assault. Still, in verses 3-4, David says:
3 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
Even though he fears for his life, he continues to trust in God. David recognizes that if God is on his side, no enemy can stand against him. Reflecting on this psalm, John Goldingay wrote:
Psalm 56 interweaves talk of fear and of trust in a way that might look contradictory but reflects the way things are in such a crisis. When we speak of people involved in acts of bravery, we sometimes speak of them as fearless, but people who are fearless are probably stupid, and their action involves neither courage nor trust in God. Fear is a God-created human instinct that encourages us to avoid danger; fear led many sensible people to evacuate their homes as Hurricane Irene approached. It is when a person undertakes an act of bravery in circumstances of which they are properly fearful that they show courage.[3]
That last sentence is especially impactful. While trusting in God amid tremendous opposition might leave you feeling weak and powerless, the truth is that this is when you are at your strongest.
A Reliable Basis
The sign of someone secure in Christ is not that they live without fear but that they continually bring their fears to him and choose to trust and praise when others grow angry and bitter. Trusting in God doesn’t mean overriding our emotions and tricking ourselves into thinking we’re not afraid. Case in point, John Goldingay shares this illustration:
In the musical The King and I Anna sings, “Whenever I feel afraid, I whistle a happy tune, so no one will suspect I’m afraid,” and she finds that as well as fooling other people, she fools herself: “The happiness in the tune convinces me that I’m not afraid.” So you can be as brave as you pretend you are while whistling a happy tune. That dynamic is not to be despised, but it is not the psalm’s dynamic. Here, it is important that the trust has an object and the bravery thus has a basis.”[4]
Like the psalmist, our only reliable basis for trust is in God. When you are in Christ and living in right relationship with him, he is on your side. “Realizing that God is for you is the antidote to fear.”[5]
[1]Derek Kidner, Psalms 1–72: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 15 of Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. IVP/Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 220.
[2]Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms Volume 1, The NIV Application Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 821.
[3]John Goldingay, Psalms for Everyone, Part 1, vol. 11 of Old Testament for Everyone. Accordance electronic ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 175.
[4]John Goldingay, Psalms for Everyone, Part 1, vol. 11 of Old Testament for Everyone. Accordance electronic ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 176.
[5]Bryan Chapell, eds. Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), paragraph 2349.
