In God I Trust

My husband and I enjoy watching the deer in our yard. I’ve noticed that when the mama deer are with their young fawns, the fawns sleep, eat, explore, and are mostly oblivious to what may be around them (unless danger is imminent). On the other hand, the mamas are always on alert. At any unusual noise or smell, their ears prick up and their bodies tense. They direct the fawns to run or hide. The fawns instinctively trust their mamas to care for and protect them.

In Palm 56, David is in danger again. We will look at where and how he placed his faith.

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;

all day long an attacker oppresses me;

2 my enemies trample on me all day long,

for many attack me proudly.

3 When I am afraid,

I put my trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they injure my cause;

all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They stir up strife, they lurk;

they watch my steps,

as they have waited for my life.

7 For their crime will they escape?

In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8 You have kept count of my tossings;

put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back

in the day when I call.

This I know, that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise,

in the Lord, whose word I praise,

11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;

I will render thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered my soul from death,

yes, my feet from falling,

that I may walk before God

in the light of life. [1]

We won’t cover the details of David’s fearful circumstances (his enemies pursuit), but they were relentless and continual (vs 1-2, 5-6). We will study how David could move from fear to faith whether or not his circumstances changed. David testifies to how fearful circumstances should open our hearts, minds, and mouths to prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.

First, David opened his mouth in prayer: “Be gracious to me, O God” (vs 1). He didn’t make demands of God to act in the way he saw fit. He petitioned God for grace. David didn’t wait for his fears to dissipate or his circumstances to disappear to exert his faith. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You” (vs 3, emphasis added). He trusted God with both his feelings of being afraid and in what he wanted God to do (vs 7).

We learn from David to first ask God for His grace. We all need God’s grace every minute of every day. We were created to be dependent on God. Next, we learn that it is okay for us to share with God how we are feeling. David was in a dangerous situation. Fear was a natural and right response, but David didn’t stay in his fear. He turned to God in faith, bringing his fears to the only One who could truly comfort him and act on his behalf.

We also learn from David that it is okay to tell God what we want, but there are parameters. David appealed to God’s character asking God to act in accordance with His character. “For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!” David knew that God was just. God was righteous, and unrepentant sin required judgment. In addition, we ask desiring God’s will and glory above all, recognizing that God is all-wise and knows perfectly what is needed and we don’t (Luke 22:42).

Second, David opened his mouth in praise. As is common among the psalms, the format of the psalm itself lends to our understanding. “There is a chiastic [structure where words or themes are repeated in reverse order] movement in this strophe (McCann 1996:902):

from feeling afraid

to trust

to praising God’s Word

to trust

to resolving not to be afraid”[2] (vs 3-4, 9b-11)

The difference between verses 3-4 and 9b-11 is that the former begins with feelings of fear. The latter begins with a declaration of faith: “This I know, that God is for me” (see also Romans 8:31). In both sets of verses, David places his trust in God. Praising God was a concrete form of David’s trust. David specifically praised God’s Word which contains God’s promises and reveals His character. This in turn builds David’s faith, so he could speak with confidence to himself: “I shall not be afraid.”

Why? “What can flesh do to me?” David knew that with God no ultimate harm would come to him. Man may kill the body, but physical death cannot separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39). In fact, physical death ushers us into glory. “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18). [3] David also knew that God was for him. There was nothing more that David needed – only God.

One last tidbit before we move to our final truth. David drew comfort from God. “You have kept count of my tossings; [4] put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (vs 8). Often in our fear, we feel alone, but David’s fearful circumstance had not gone unnoticed by God. David gave a tender, compassionate view of God’s love and care.

Lastly, David opened his mouth in thanksgiving: “I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you” (vs 12). David was so convinced that God would deliver him (vs 13) that he was ready to offer thanksgiving. The verb in verse 13 is future tense but with such certainty it is announced as if it was already accomplished. This further testified to David’s faith.

David viewed his deliverance with a specific purpose in mind: to live for God and not for self – ‘“that I may walk before God in the light of life” (vs 13b). David would dwell in God’s presence. I know my times of suffering have grown my faith and knowledge of God in a personal way, but there is a detail here I almost missed – “in the light of life.” Let’s look at John 8:12: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (emphasis added).

I don’t know how much David understood when he wrote that phrase, but for you and me, we can read Psalm 56 in light of John 8:12. However dark our fearful circumstance may seem or is, Jesus is the light of life we walk in. Jesus who perfectly trusted the Father. Jesus who bore God’s wrath for our sin. Jesus who sent the Spirit to indwell us. Jesus our Redeemer who will deliver us to glory to forever dwell with Him.

Reflection

1. When you are struggling with fear or anxiety, do you talk to God about how you are feeling and even how you want Him to act on your behalf? If you don’t talk to God, where do you turn? Do you need to pray about a fearful circumstance now?

2. Do God’s character and His Word (promises) lead you out of your fear to faith and praise? Which specific “God is…” truths and promises build your faith? Take time to praise God for His Word.

3. How does it comfort you to know God keeps count of your tossings and puts your tears in a bottle, that He tenderly and compassionately loves and cares for you?

4. In faith, how can you already be giving thanks to God in your fearful circumstance?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 56:title–13. [2] Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 196. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ti 4:18. [4] Unrest, turmoil