Have you ever been afraid?  Really afraid, so that you were practically paralyzed by that fear?  I have.

     I can remember several such times in my life.  They were not times when I feared that I would die or even that I would be hurt physically.  I feared other things.

     The summer of 1980, when the Lord led us to resign the pastorate and move from Victoria to Houston to begin a faith walk, was one such time.  We didn't have much money.  We had no prospects of a way to earn much money.  But we were convinced God was leading us.  So we went to Houston to start looking for a house to rent.

     That first night I woke up shaking with fear.  How could we make it?  How would we be able to live?  The perspiration broke out on my forehead.  I was afraid in a way I had never been before.

     And as I lay there shaking, it seemed that God said to me, "Many times when you have ministered to people facing fear, you have quoted Psalm 56:3, 'What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee'.  Now it's your turn".  So I made a deliberate choice to trust Him with the whole thing, rolled over and went back to sleep.

     God did take care of everything, but I had to keep trusting Him each day.  Every time I was afraid, I remembered this verse and gave things to Him all over again.  It is something I still have to do fourteen years later.

     The summer of 1993 was another time I was paralyzed with fear.  When Pat first discovered she had cancer, I was numb.  Then the whirlwind of activity related to correcting the problem kept me from feeling.  But finally I slowed down enough for reality to set in.  And I was afraid.

     I faced the very real possibility that she might die from this disease.  Maybe this time.  Maybe later.  And the thought of losing my beloved companion of forty-three years was more than I could bear.  It took a while before I could fully trust and find release.

     I had to admit my fear before I could trust His care.  And that was hard.  I tried to keep up a good front.  After all, I am a minister who tells people how to face tough times.  I didn't want to admit that I couldn't cope.

     But when I did admit it, with many tears I might add, I was free to trust.  And the Lord gave me the peace and rest I needed.  The fear comes back from time to time.  But when it does I say, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee".  Each time He takes the fear away and strengthens me.

     Perhaps you are afraid right now.  What worked for the psalmist and for this preacher will work for you.  Admit it: "What time I am afraid".  Then commit it: "I will trust in thee".