Introduction : Those who have depended on God and experienced salvation have their own testimonies. The more storms in life they have faced, the more vividly they have tasted the grace of God. Trouble may seem very hard at the moment, but later it becomes a great testimony of God´s grace.


1. Yahweh answered by setting me free.
    1) Trouble makes us cry out
        (1) Physical and circumstantial trouble results in a troubled heart - trouble brings
             anxiety and fear in heart that can take away the basis for living, fame, and life.
             This fear is like the fire in hell (Ps 31:9)
        (2) God has the authority to save us from trouble, such as from hell
            (Ps 40:17, 1Pe 5:7)
        (3) Praying during trouble is to cry out like a suffocating animal
        - a friend who came at night, a widow who cried out to an unjust judge (Ps 116:3-4)
    2) Yahweh answered
        (1) Jeremiah 33:3 (Ps 50:15, 34:6)
        (2) Setting our feet in a spacious place
            ① Freedom in heart - Yahweh sets us free from anxiety and fear through peace
                (Ps 29:11, Jn 16:33)
            ② God permits us a spacious place of hope from the despair of circumstances
                - Confidence that God is with us and peace that will make us fear neither fire
                   nor water (Ps 116:8)

2. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
    1) The reason why God is with me
        (1) Because of a covenant - the covenant of circumcision to the Israelites and the
             covenant to us of Jesus on the Cross. David was bold, being very confident in the
             covenant of circumcision (Ge17:10, Lk 22:20, 1Sa 17:36)
        (2) When I´m with God, He is with us - the life of faith and obedience
             (Ps 91:14, Dt 28:7)
        (3) The life of dependence on God (Jn 14:16, 18, 1Jn 4:4)
    2) I will not be afraid
        (1) When we count on ourselves, we are afraid
            - when we look at our circumstances, we are afraid (Ps 27:1-2)
        (2) When God occupies the center of our heart, fear goes away (1Jn 4:18, Jos 1:9)
    3) What can man do to me?
        (1) Fear seems to be caused by circumstances, but mostly it comes from people
             (Heb 13:5-6)
        (2) God who is greater than man is with us; we must be safe
            - Daniel and a den of lions (Da 6:22)

3. The LORD is with me; He is my helper.
    1) The allied forces that helped us during the Korean War - without their help, Korea
        would have become communistic - (during the conference of the Security Council,
        Stalin was on vacation and Malik was absent) (Ps 56:9)
    2) The Lord, the Shepherd, is with me in the valley of the shadow of death, and God
         is with me with His rod and staff (Ps 37:39-40, 127:1)
    3) Yahweh, our Banner - God defeated the Amalekites at Rephidim
         (Ex 17:15-16, Ps 54:7)


Conclusion : This psalmist was so distressed and pressed down by anxiety and fear, which could suffocate his mind and body. In such a valley of the shadow of death, he cried out to God, and God answered him by giving him peace and freedom in his mind and body. Through this experience, the psalmist realized that if Yahweh were with him, he could overcome anxiety and fear and defeat any enemy.