Trusting God in Panic Attacks (Psalm 56:3-4)

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. ⁴In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? —Psalm 56:3-4

If you’ve ever had a panic attack, you know it's not like run-of-the-mill fear. Maybe you've been afraid to speak in front of a group. Or afraid of financial failure. Panic attack fear is not like that. It is irrational—dark, debilitating, and very difficult to describe.

Years ago, when little was known about what causes panic attacks, I lived with this fear. One moment I would be basking on the beach of well-being and then, without warning, I'd be hit by the tsunami of overwhelming, crushing fear. The wave would rise up out of what I thought were peaceful waters and come breaking down, stripping away all my sense of security. The panic would tear at my soul and leave me grabbing desperately for an anchor.

When I had my first panic attack, I was newly born again in Christ. I came to realize that it's possible for fear and faith to occupy the same mind. When David wrote Psalm 56, he expressed his fear, and his trust in God, in the same breath. “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”

As a new believer, I was just beginning to understand the depth of my sin and the power of the cross of Christ to deliver me. As God is faithful to do with all of His children, He put me in the school of learning to trust Him—no matter what. He began the work of growing my dependence on Him through panic attacks that drove me to His Word. Ironically, these were sweet times of such joy—of being sheltered in His tabernacle (Psalm 27:5), feasting on the bread of His word, and learning the depths of His covenant that I never would have known without such suffering.

He is true and faithful! I experienced what David wrote in verse 9, “God is for me.” When the tsunami wave of fear came rushing in, God stood with me in it, holding me firm in the anchor of His promises. I could say with David, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.”

When I think back on the years of living with panic attacks, I am amazed at the sufficiency of God’s grace. His grace is more than enough. My life in Christ, and the glory I desire to bring Him, is not dependent upon my strength, but on His power that is made perfect in my weakness. I will gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

May Christ’s power rest on us. We do not need to look far to find reasons to fear. But God is always teaching us to trust and depend on Him completely; to not be afraid; to remember that neither life nor death, our own weaknesses and strengths, the power of flesh and blood, or the spiritual forces we cannot see—none of these can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Whoever believes in Him will never perish, but will have everlasting life. Indeed, what can flesh do to me? (Romans 8:38-39; John 3:16; Psalm 56:4)

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For Reflection

1. Make a chart things that cause you to panic, worry, or fear on the left side. On the right side, list a corresponding promise in God’s Word that will anchor you and strengthen your faith in Christ. 2. Meditate on those corresponding promises of God. Preach them to your soul and look to God to give you His power to glorify Him in all things, even in your fears and weaknesses.