Every day, around 8,000 Americans die. According to the Centers for Disease Control, here are the top eight causes—in order:
- Heart disease
- Tumors
- Accidents
- Respiratory diseases
- Alzheimer’s
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Chronic liver disease/Cirrhosis.
But our fears are much bigger than merely physical, which is the ultimate death. We fear the death of our relationships, our reputations, our job security, and our financial well-being. We fear the death of rapport with our kids and grandkids. We fear the death of our freedoms. The list is practically limitless—and so are our fears.
Which is why we often gravitate toward negative self-talk. That self-talk often descends to depths like:
“The struggle I am facing now will be the death of my reputation…relationship… employment…or financial well-being. There’s no way out. I might as well give up.”
But what if you could trade all that in for a better type of self-talk? In Psalm 68:20, David says, “God is to us a God of salvation; and to God the Lord belong ways of escape from death.”
Note that the Hebrew word for salvation used here means deliverance. David is speaking about God’s role as Deliverer from difficulties and deaths—of all kinds.
You and I are trouble-prone, disaster-bound, and in constant need of rescue. That’s why God stands ready for any and all deliverances. No wonder one of His names is Waymaker!
So, how can we make this verse a victory verse? How can we learn to harness this biblical self-talk? Here are three quick ideas.
Tell God What You Need
Yes, He already knows, but for whatever reason, He has asked us (commanded us) to “let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Ask for His Deliverance
Again, God loves to hear us ask for His help. So be bold and be specific. Isaiah 30:18 assures, “The Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.”
Speak Truth to Your Doubts
Not just any truth—speak the truth of Psalm 68:20. This fight against fear—especially fear of death—is never a one-and-done proposition. Doubts and fears will come at us again and again. We must answer every one of those lies with the truth!
Charles Spurgeon said it best: “As surely as He is our God, He will save us. To be His is to be safe.”
And if you’d like to work on replacing more of your negative self-talk, check out the book, Powerful Self-Talk from the Psalms.
