The daughter of a well-known Chicago crime boss has written a book in which she tells of the uneasy fear that continuously stalked her father. His gangland-style death later confirmed that his fears were not unfounded.

Many people live with fears that are as real to them as the dread of the mob was to that man, even though their lives are good and upright. Take the case of David, the author of Psalm 34. He had reason to be fearful because he was stalked by men who wanted to kill him. Yet his experience helps us see the right way to deal with fear.

Just as fire can be used to fight fire, so fear can be used to fight fear. David reminded his readers that those who fear God above all else can be delivered from all other fears. When believers learn to reverence God and obey Him, they find that they are the most privileged and favored people in the whole world (vv.8-9).

Are you looking for security in a world where frightening situations and unsettling circumstances abound? There is no better way to find it than to live each day with a healthy fear of God--a reverence that creates a longing to obey Him. --  — Mart De Haan