Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
7 For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back

in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.  Psalm 56

A. Causes of Fear

1. Fear of people: Psalm 56:1-4, 11, Prov. 29:25, Matt. 26:69-74

2. Fear of death: Psalm 56:5-6, Heb. 2:14-15

3. Fear from perceived negative circumstances (what ifs): Prov. 22:13, Prov. 26:13

4. Fear of obeying God: Exodus 3:4-6; 11-12; Exodus 4:1, 10-17

B. Overcoming Fear God’s Ways

1. Acknowledge the presence of fear: Psalm 56:3a

2. Scriptural reasoning against fear

– With God: Isaiah 1:18

– Of people: Ps. 56:4d, Ps. 56:11c

– Of death: Rev. 1:4, 1 Cor. 15:54-57

– Of perceived negative circumstance (what ifs): Psalm 138:8, Ps. 57:2, Ps. 25:10

– Of obeying God: Acts 4:13-20, John 14:21

– With Ourselves: Psalm 42:5,11

3. Exercise of faith

– In God’s trustworthy Person: Ps. 56:3-4, 10-11

– In God’s trustworthy Word: Ps. 56:4-10, Is. 50:10