Do you ever get afraid?  The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 118 – “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?” (v.6).  How could he utter that statement when by all appearances things were not going well?  The answer is found in two things.  

First, He had called out to God and received an answer (v5).  Who do you call when you are afraid?  Or who do you text to share how you are feeling?  Secondly, He recalled the goodness and the steadfast love of God (v1-2) doing that allowed him to realize that the Lord was his helper.  In the original language helper includes many facets – being surrounded and protected, being given aid and helped, being given relief.  

As Christians, He is our helper too.  We can experience those benefits when we choose to take our fear to Him.  We can know that we are heard.  What parent doesn’t answer a fearful child’s cry right?  The last phrase of verse 5 was so powerful. “Out of my distress I called to the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free”.  It doesn’t say whether his circumstances changed immediately, but as he shifted his focus to God’s goodness and steadfast love and help, and as he invited God into his circumstances through prayer, he was set free from fear. 

You can’t focus on your fear and on your God at the same time.