PS 56

Ps 56:1 Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; fighting all day he oppresses me.

:2 My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

:3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

:4 In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

:5 All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

:6 They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life.

:7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

:8 You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?

:9 When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me.

:10 In God (I will praise His word), in the Lord ( I will praise His word),

:11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

:12 Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You,

:13 for You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

This is headed as Prayer for Relief from Tormentors.

David was really good with words. He makes us feel exactly what it's like to be under the attack he was experiencing. His refuge was the Lord and he makes that clear also.

When we're under attack or bound up in fear, it is easy to feel forgotten. He asked God to put his tears in God's bottle. He knew God saw the tears. When we cry into our pillow at night God sees those tears also. We may feel alone, but we aren't.

David asked twice what man can do to him. The answer: a lot! They can ruin my reputation with slander and lies, leave me behind for someone else, steal from me, misuse my friendship, reject me, turn others against me, hate me, attack me, even kill me. They can make my life miserable.

The truth that overrides all of that is simply this: if God is for us, who can be against us? David knew that people are only able to go so far with their persecution and attacks. Jesus knew that too, He said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” Matthew 10:28). Christians may suffer intensely in this life, but God is our refuge from the storm now and our dwelling place forever.