Psalms 56:1

The Bible says in Psalms 56:1-3, “Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.[2] Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.[3] What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” David asked God for mercy. We all need mercy every day. Thank God for the death of Christ on the cross because it is the basis of mercy for everyone for every day and beyond. God is merciful. We can count on His mercy. David knew that he needed God’s mercy because of all the enemies that David had. David was smart enough to know that David was not strong enough to fight his enemies without God’s help. You need the Lord. One of the reasons that God allows difficulties into our lives is so that we will see our need of the Lord. David said in verse three, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” When you see all the problems of life that you have, just take them to the Lord and trust in the Lord to help you.

The Bible says in Psalms 56:4, “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Knowing the Word of God and having faith in God go together. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” David said “I will praise his word.” He loved the Word of God, and obviously knew the Word of God. Read the Bible, memorize Bible verses, and go to a good Bible-teaching church. As you learn more and more about the promises of God in the Bible, it will make it easier for you to put your trust in the Lord Jesus day by day.

The Bible says in Psalms 56:5-7, “Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.[6] They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.[7] Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.” If your heart is right with Christ, those who are not will even oppose your words. Their thoughts are against you, and so the words that come out of their mind are against you too. They are deceitful: “they hide themselves.” They are not straight-forward or honest people. Because they are not honest with God about themselves and their sins, they are involved in hiding their true selves from God and from believers. They oppose believers and therefore they plan and scheme against believers. David said, “they wait for my soul.” That is where persecution comes from. We are not going to use their methods: we are going to pray for them. We know where their life will end, and it is not good. David asks the question in verse seven, “Shall they escape by iniquity?” Of course, the answer is “no.” They will not escape unless they turn to Jesus because God is the God of all the earth, and God is holy, and everyone must give account. What David prayed at the end of verse seven is exactly what will happen to everyone who rejects Christ: “in thine anger cast down the people, O God.”

The Bible says in Psalms 56:8, “Thou tellest my wanderings; put thou my tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy book?” God sees the lives of His children and does not forget. The Lord knows. That is the symbolism of everything that happens in our lives as being in God’s “book.” The story of our lives as believers is not over. Our lives will be fulfilled and finally fully understood at the judgment when the books are opened and we are given understanding to see everything from the perspective of God’s knowledge and God’s plan. That is why it says in First Corinthians 13:9-12, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.[11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.[12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Notice the two words that David uses in Psalms 56:8 to describe his life on this earth: “wanderings” and “tears.” In a very real sense we are wandering through the world until we reach our final destination: heaven. That is, we will reach that destination if we know Jesus as Savior. An old gospel song says, “This world is not my home; I am just a-passing through.” Do not live as if your situation in this world is permanent: it is not. The world is passing away. David said that his life on this earth was made of ““wanderings” and “tears.” The tears can be many for some people who follow Jesus. The servant is not greater than his Lord. Jesus was called “man of sorrows and well-aquainted with grief.” We are told in the New Testament, “Jesus wept.” Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation.” What are the tears that some have shed? How about the tears of losing a friend or a loved-one? How about the tears of a parent when something bad happens in the life of one or more of their children? How about the tears when a dream is dashed or broken. Yes, there will be tears as we wander through this life. We have at least one consolation: there will be no tears in heaven: only joy forever more. But also God will not forget one tear that we have shed. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.”

The Bible says in Psalms 56:9, “When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.” David knew that his prayers worked. David knew that when he prayed to God, things changed. His enemies were turned back. David also knew that God was for him. David said, “God is for me.” Once you believe in Jesus, God is on your side. God is not angry with you. God is not going to punish you. God does not even remember your sins and failures. Jesus is on your side.

Why did David have such great faith in God and such confidence that God was going to help him and answer his prayers? The next verse tells why. The Bible says in Psalms 56:10, “In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.” David valued the Word of God. He loved the Word of God. David praised the Word of God. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” If you want to have more faith and confidence that God is on your side, and that He is going to answer your prayers, then make sure the Word of God has the proper place in your life through reading the Bible, memorizing Bible verses, and going to church and hearing good Bible-teaching.

The Bible says in Psalms 56:11, “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” How can you conquer your fears of what might happen to you in this world of woe? Do what David did: put your trust in God and in Jesus the Lord. In other words, if you trust in something or someone other than God, fear will win over you. True confidence comes from trusting in the Lord and knowing that Someone with true power and wisdom and love controls your life. Once you trust in the Lord about something, whatever happens is God’s will, and so there is nothing to fear.

The Bible says in Psalms 56:12, “Thy vows are upon me, O God; I will render praises unto thee.” When you make a vow to God, you are making a promise to Him. For example, when you accept Jesus as your Savior, you promise to follow Him and to serve Him for the rest of your life. You make such a promise out of gratitude for the fact that He died on the cross for you so you could be forgiven and go to heaven. For the same reason, you have the basis to always be able to “render praises” unto Christ. Thank the Lord for all things, but especially thank Him for dying for you on the cross.

The Bible says in Psalms 56:13, “For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” This is a great verse to memorize. The first phrase refers to the salvation of the soul. Once you accept Jesus as Savior, you are saved, and therefore when you die, you will dwell in heaven forever. That is wonderful, but you still have a life to live on earth. You do not want to fall: in other words you do not want your life to be ruined even though one day you will go to heaven. Notice the use of the words “feet” and “walk.” What direction will you end up going in life? Just make sure that you walk with God. You do that by staying in fellowship with Christ, and you do that by having the right amount of daily confession of sin, prayer, and Bible. What is God’s plan for your life? To put it on general terms: the Lord Jesus wants you to live a life of faith, walking with Him. David knew that, and he wanted to do it. David was smart enough to know that He needed God’s help even to do that, and so David prayed, “wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” And of course, that is why First John 1V9 is so important: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

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