The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 

Psalm 27:1 NKJV  

We can have confidence and trust in God despite difficult circumstances.  

In the middle of an enemy attack, David wrote Psalm 27 as an outcry to God. David expressed the gravity of his situation, but he also expressed gratitude and praise to God for his beauty, goodness, salvation, light, strength, and protection. It’s easy to forget that God is in control of our lives, or to doubt that he actually cares, but Scripture reminds us that we can cast every burden on him, knowing he cares deeply for us. (Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7).  

In fact, God even tells us how to cast our burdens on him. In Philippians 4, God tells us to be anxious for nothing, but to bring every prayer and request to God “with thanksgiving,” and he will give us his peace that surpasses our understanding and guards our hearts and minds through Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). Approaching him with gratitude both honors him and puts our hearts in a good state of prayer and reflection. Our brains are incapable of being in both gratitude and fear at the same time, so being grateful is crucial in helping us avoid anxiety. 

When fear or worry threaten your sanity, go to God first. Praise him for who he is and all he does in your life, and ponder some things for which you’re grateful. Bring your requests to him in a state of thankfulness and praise, focus on who he is, and you’ll find your worries fade in the light of his presence.