When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3

Snakes, flying, dinner parties with strangers, or maybe needles. What are you afraid of?

I once asked a group of kids what they feared most. Some yelled “spiders,” while others talked about fear of the dark, struggling to make friends, and nerves before a test. But one seven-year-old girl flatly said she wasn’t afraid of anything! She insisted that she’d never felt afraid! To her, this was what it meant to be brave.

Many of us can relate. We all feel scared sometimes–it’s part of our humanity. Whether we fear uncertainty or illness, failure or loss, we all face that sense of vulnerability that leaves us wondering “what if.” And while God doesn’t want us to live in fear, He meets us right there in our uncertainty.

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Notice that this verse doesn’t say “IF” I am afraid, but “WHEN” I am afraid. If you never experience any unease, then you may not be following God. Throughout the Bible, God tells people not to be afraid simply because He led them to places that were out of their comfort zones. God allows us to experience situations that are beyond us so that we discover Him as our source of never-ending strength. This is how we grow into the people He wants us to become.

Today, practice observing your fears and then turning to God. When you’re afraid, make it your first step to say to Him, “I’m afraid. What should I do?” You don’t have to deny your fears. Instead, watch for God right in the thick of them.